#that immune system attacking the nerves

[whereisthedamndaddymanual]

Who the bloody Hell is Zoey and why is she important enough he would mention her to his mother.

Dad is too goddamn 🤓 smart.

*looks at picture*

She was like daddy used to float me when I was here as her.

My sweet Jane perhaps.

[magicmalcolm]

Love having the immune system with the resistance of soggy cardboard.

[inspiredrawaw]

A Fae’s Magic. My take on how magic works and headcannons

And here we are!! My take on how I imagine the fairies magic working as well as my interpretation of Peris physical disability headcannon. I went with MS due to me getting optic neuritis last year and doing a shit ton of research into MS just in case! And now I get to show that research here! text below

IMAGE 1: A Faes Magic.

a fae get their magic from the Big Wand that gets stored as its own unique "information" in the fae's nervous system. Magic helps a fae's nervous syetm send signals to their wings to move and function as well as enhance the other functions of their nervous syetm. Leading to faster wound healing and immortality, gives them a 6th sense to other magic beings, greater balance and coordination when they change forms, and enhancement to their memory, learning, and thoughts.

big wand magic go into brain, magic becomes signals, magic gets stored in nervous system

IMAGE 2:

now wands, everything must be done in moderation. A wand can help a fae have control over their magic, be more precise in casting magic, and for storing extra magic. Due to this a wand becomes an extension of a fae even to a point where a wand will float with their fae.

A fae will receive a rattle wand at birth due to their immature nervous systems causing large uncontrolled magic outbursts.

IMAGE 3:

As a fae gets older it becomes more difficult to expel that magic. It's easier to control but magic back up becomes a real problem. Similar to how a nervous system can be overloaded with chronic stress, their nervous system can be overloaded with magic. This magic overflow will cause butterfly nausea, rainbow vomit, and a build up of confetti in their lungs and sinuses.

The most common occupation a fae will pursue is as a fairy godparent. Human kids wild imagination is a great way to expel extra magic. People will work in this field for selfish reasons but that's a different problem.

IMAGE 4:

what about our pal Peri? Peri has magical Multiple Sclerosis.

Magical MS or M-MS similar to human MS, the immune system will attack the protective layer on nerve fibers causing communication problems for the nervous system.

This in fae's can cause the magic a fae can store to be decrease overtime. Fae with M-MS have weaker wings typically floating lower then their peers, numbness in limbs, lack of coordination no matter their form, slower recovery time, fatigue, and increased magic back up risk.

helps with magic, coordination, nervous system can’t hold a lot of magic, bad leg gets worse of MMS flareups

IMAGE 5:

For Peri he first discovered this only a few years prior to the show after getting optic neuritis in their right eye.

Peri switched out his wand for his cane wand. A mobility and magic aid. By enclosing the star of his wand in a sphere it acts as extra storage for his magic decreasing his magic back up risk. It also helps with slowing down the process of his nervous system getting attacked by his immune system to ensure a fae's immortal life. He has an easier time floating and casting magic.

[truth4ourfreedom]

THE BENEFITS OF IVERMECTIN. IF YOU HAVE CANCER, FREQUENT COLD OR INFECTIONS, MUSCLE SHRINKAGE, CARDIAC ISSUES, CROHNS, HERPES, ETC.

The study was published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science.  LET'S TALK ABOUT IVERMECTIN 1 – Ivermectin prevents the damage caused to RNA Vaccines.  2 – Ivermectin blocks the entry of Spike Protein into cells.  So, if the person was vaccinated with COVID, they have hope, they have a way to treat themselves through Ivermectin.  3 – Ivermectin is a treatment after Covid and after vaccination, it is an effective medicine in all phases of Covid 19, even before entering the cell, Ivermectin already destroys the virus in the blood.  It only has beneficial effects and no harmful effects in the treatment of the coronavirus.  4 – Ivermectin has a very powerful anti-inflammatory action against Coronavirus.  5 – Ivermectin has a powerful action for traumatic and orthopedic injuries, it strengthens muscles and has no side effects like corticosteroids.  6 – Ivermectin treats autoimmune ailments such as: rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, Crohn's disease, allergic rhinitis.  7 – Ivermectin reduces the frequency of flu and colds.  8 – Ivermectin improves the immunity of cancer patients.  9 – Ivermectin treats Herpes Simplex and Herpes Zoster.  10 – Ivermectin reduces the frequency of sinusitis and diverticulitis.  11 – Ivermectin protects the heart in cardiac overload, in an embolism for example, it prevents cardiac hypoxia because it stimulates the production of basic energy so that the tissue is not destroyed and thus improves cardiac function.  12 – Ivermectin is antiparasitic.  13 – Ivermectin is anti-neoplastic (anti-cancer), it suppresses the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells, only killing cancer cells and preserving healthy cells, improving the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatment, as it kills cancer cells resistant to chemotherapy, defeating the resistance to multiple chemotherapeutics that tumors develop, and combined with chemotherapy and/or anti-cancer agents, it provides an increase in the effectiveness of these treatments.  14 – Ivermectin is antimicrobial (bacteria and viruses), and increases immunity.  15 – Ivermectin reaches the Central Nervous System and regenerates the nerves.  16 – Ivermectin regulates glucose and insulin metabolism.  17 – Ivermectin regulates cholesterol metabolism.  18 – Ivermectin reduces liver fat in steatose.  19 – Ivermectin protects the liver exposed to insecticides.  20 – Ivermectin attacks the virus wherever it is, regardless of mutations.  21 – Ivermectin serves for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus, surprisingly.  Unproven efficacy is not of Ivermectin, but of vaccines.  22 – Ivermectin, used as a prophylactic agent, was associated with a significant reduction in infection, hospitalization and mortality rates due to COVID-19.  23 - Ivermectin does not attack the liver, since it is not metabolized in it, and if in the intestine, on the contrary, it protects the liver. 

BIG PHARMA DOES NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS.THEY WANT TO SELL YOU THE EXPENSIVE MEDS THEY MAKE BILLIONS ON.

Please read, save and re-blog before Tumblr takes this down.

[astrolovecosmos]

The Planets & Random or Obscure Associations

~Sun~

Creativity, vitality, head of state, the father, games, yellow and orange clothing, articles of value, jewelry, gold, brass, power, diamonds, citrine, topaz, jasper, amber, rhodochrosite, mistletoe, almonds, citrus, succulents, sunflowers, fevers, heart, back, spine, grapes, walnuts, rice, chamomile, frankincense, juniper, saffron, marigold, rosemary, rue, palaces, towers, luxury.

~Moon~

Eternal, cycles, silver, aluminum, pearls, moonstone, opal, selenite, chest, glands, lymphatic system, nervous system, emotions, mother, ancestors, nurture, rebirth, tides, baths, ocean, brew, boat, sap, willow trees, succulents, pale color plants, white flowers, cucumber, cabbage, lettuce, melons, shellfish, pumpkins, lakes, fountains, ports, fishponds, pools, springs, sewers, dairies, toys, reflection, blankets, objects of comfort.

~Mercury~

Communication, journal, pen/pencil, any writing tools, wings, phosphorous, mercury, agate, tiger's eye, brain, nervous system, eyes, respiration, thyroid, speech, hearing, intellect, vehicles, money, bills, paper, books, pictures, parties or social gatherings, scientific instruments, butterflies, messages, mail, hazel, mulberry, myrtle, seeds, aniseed, dill, fennel, lavender, liquorice, marjoram, parsley, valerian, hazelnuts, beans, mushrooms, pomegranates, carrots, celery, libraries, schools, markets, fairs, public spaces, tennis or badminton court, studies, banks, bowling greens, offices, blue, white, or light colored flowers.

~Venus~

Love, relating, lust, high-quality fabrics, copper, bronze, sodium, malachite, tourmaline, emerald, rose quartz, kunzite, sapphire, pastels, throat, kidneys, lumber region, art, music, aesthetics, social life, fashion, jewelry, wine, pleasure, alder tree, fruit trees, paint, ash tree, birch, pomegranates, early flowering, daisy, mint, marshmallow, meadowsweet, mugwort, plantain, tansy, roses, thyme, vervain, yarrow, potatoes, strawberries, wheat, sugar, nectarines, ballrooms, bedrooms, dining room, gardens, fountains, wardrobes, theaters, looking and feeling good.

~Mars~

Lust, conquest, desire, flaming sword, red things, fights, iron, brass, bloodstone, carnelian, cinnabar, pyrite, magnetite, ruby, garnet, hematite, muscles, reproductive organs, blood, kidneys, immunity, heat, action, arms, pepper, sharp instruments, cutlery, attacks, scissors, weapons, physical intimacy, bites, stings, scalds, burns, accidents, hawthorn, pine, thorns, cactus, aloes, anemone, arnica, belladonna, garlic, ginger, hops, mustard seed, nettles, wormwood, chives, onions, leeks, radish, rhubarb, tobacco, labs, furnaces, distilleries, bakehouses, ovens, smiths, butchers, fields, anger, passion, self-focus.

~Jupiter~

Expansion, optimism, religion, religious sites, tin, seduction, turquoise, chrysocolla, topaz, citrine, jasper, liver, pancreas, pituitary gland, sciatic nerve, excess, abundance, prophecy, philosophy, knowledge, universities, foreign travel, luggage, honey, oil, silk, fruit, distinct clothing, merchandise, horses, domestic birds, gambling, indulgence, entertainment, oak, dandelion, sage, endive, chervil, asparagus, figs, churches, temples, palaces, altars, courts, mansions, woods, orchards, winery, cornucopia, connecting with the soul.

~Saturn~

Limits, boundaries, father time, lord of death, shadows, lead, iron, steel, calcium, asbestos, sulphur, diamond, onyx, calcite, skeleton, spleen, skin, teeth, nails, joints, structure, crystallization, old age, blockage, anything dark, wool, heavy materials, agriculture, wheelbarrows, spades, farm houses and buildings, cold, laws, aspen, blackthorn, buckthorn, cypress, elm, toxic plants, hemlock, henbane, belladonna, hellebore, barley, beetroot, safflower, parsnips, spinach, deserts, woods, valleys, caves, church yards, ruins, coalpits, sinks, wells, mud, institutions.

~Uranus~

Eccentrics, mavericks, invention, genius, revolution, change, trends, disruptive science or tech, uranium, magnesium, lapis lazuli, sapphire, aquamarine, azurite, chalcedony, electricity, neon lights, plaid, nervous and circulatory system, pineal gland, chaos, violence, upheaval, astrology, steam engines, coal, machinery, coins, baths, fishponds, dangerous places, computers, magnets, quantum physics, research, welfare, humanity, hypnotherapy, railways, banks, gas, psychiatric hospitals, offices, hospitals, dispensaries, fortified places, chemicals, mingled/mingling, spirit and matter.

~Neptune~

Illusions, veils, diffuse, deception, water, oceans, mysticism, enlightenment, artistic pursuit and understanding, zinc, potassium, amethyst, fluorite, jade, sugilite, coral, aquamarine, pineal gland, lymphatic and nervous system, spine, mental processes, addiction, psychoses, disease, photography, music, substances, gas, religion, poetry, mimicry, chameleon, anesthetic, telepathy, empathy, dancing, psychic gifts, places near water, hospitals, places of healing, jeweler, painters, brewers, musicians, visionary.

~Pluto~

Power, influence, darkness, new life, what's hidden underneath, seeds, volcanoes, deep earth or ocean, bury, explosions, eruptions, abduction, plutonium, smoky quartz, obsidian, jet, pearl, deep reds, reproductive organs, the unconscious, nuclear, transformation, death, birth, rebirth, underworld, riches, earthquakes, big business, murder, detection, detective, invisibility, sneak, enforced change, hidden places, underground, drains, sewers, radioactive places, the occult, black magic, sacrifice, renew.

[lookinghalfacorpse]

hello

In what way do you think Dream is disabled/affected post-prison and if he does, what do you think he does to hide it?

permission to yap granted

this is what i do in most of my fics, so i have a good amount of content to go through. i could keep yapping, honestly, but i wanted to include the main things that cause my brainrot. gross pictures under the cut.

muscle atrophy. this happens quickly as the body enters starvation mode and begins to burn proteins. there would be a visible decrease in muscle mass, he would feel very weak and his limbs might tingle. recovery is possible, but isn't as easy as i think many people portray. the body is smart and will reduce its basal metabolic rate to adjust for a long period of starvation, and even after leaving the prison, his body would be primed and ready for another period of starvation. his body has learned that his environment doesn't provide consistent food. the body cannot 'reset' after a normal calorie intact resumes. the body keeps the score, or whatever they say. (i looked at a lot of pictures from 'the starvation experiment'. it lasted a little less than a year and was a setting where participants were carefully kept alive. most men lost 25% of their weight and only returned to their pre-study weight after 2 years of extensive treatment and therapy. u know cdream ain't seein a therapist. pictures under the cut)

quickened mouth decay / mouth dryness. on the topic of starvation, the mouth is actually one of the first places affected during a period of starvation. we don't make the saliva that we should when we aren't eating, and without saliva, the mouth begins to rot. this, along with fasting headaches, would be one of the first things he notices in the prison. it would be fixed pretty quickly upon eating normally.

seizures. many things can cause seizures to begin in someone who wasn't born with an epileptic condition, and dream's experienced most of them: starvation, head trauma, nerve damage, severe vitamin d deficiency, severe sodium deficiency, severe stress. these may decrease in frequency as he heals, but he'll be at greater risk if he fasts for any amount of time or if he's stressed. low-level muscle spasms are also going to be common.

impaired night vision/ decreased overall visual acuity. malnutrition does a ton of funky things, including to the eyes. he'd probably have a harder time adjusting to nighttime; i imagine returning to the prison is comfortable for this reason because he can control the brightness. hazy, eroded corneas are also common and might be visible to others. i put a picture under the cut. notice the green hue.

weakened immunity. like many others have mentioned, he will emerge from that cell with a paper-thin immune system. he'll be particularly weak to pneumonia and other respiratory diseases-- muscle atrophy also effects the muscles of the lungs.

essential tremors. just a fancy word for constant shaking. these could be psychological in nature, given the, you know, torture, but there are some links between malnutrition and tremors as well. he might try to hide it with weighted gloves.

improper amputation. "improper" is certainly a word for it, i know, but i want to emphasize that the kind of chop c!quackity would perform is nowhere near the level of a professional, surgical amputation. wearing a prosthetic would be very painful to say the least, especially if it isn't hand-crafted to suit his residual limb. i think cdream would probably try to endure that pain for the sake of hiding a major amputation, ie leg or arm, but i'm not sure he'd worry much about something like a finger. losing fingers doesn't affect grip strength as much as you might think, and i feel like thats all he'd really care about.

panic attacks, ptsd, memory loss, depression, hallucinations. just being locked in a single room for that long, let alone being tortured in it, would be enough for any of these symptoms. we have canon evidence for many of these, of course.

whatever other symptoms his injuries caused. depending on what tendons/muscles/bones quackity targeted, we might be looking at some different symptoms. i'm a big fan of concussion headcanons, and stiffness/immobility around scar tissue.

ultimately, i think the best bets for cdream as far as HIDING these effects are thick clothing, ill-fitting prosthetics, weighted gloves, moving in daylight, and avoiding confrontation. he'd probably want to prioritize mobility training to regain some dexterity and coordination, and to ensure that he can run away even if he can't fight.

^ eroded cornea

^ the starvation experiment

[luciferspartner]

new horror every day. and that horror is always a bowel movement

vasovagal reflex stuff is so fucked. I’ll be sweating nauseous hot and cold shaking in pain with palpitations and a sense of doom and panicking wondering what’s wrong with me and then. I go shit and I’m fine again like nothing ever happened. like hello Mr Vagus Nerve what the hell was that. Unnecessarily Dramatic!

[threadsoflacee]

my favourite flavour of hannigram post fall is will being so casually affectionate like theyve been married for 10 years while hannibal has 7 heart attacks. like will is heading out the door to his new job at the boatyard, he catches hannibal on his way out, goes "im running late see you" and kisses his cheek, and hannibal just freezes. will’s lips just touched his face. he stays completely still for at least 5 minutes trying to catch his breath before the oven beeps. he’s floating on a cloud all day long. or better, he burns himself pretty bad with sizzling oil while preparing will’s favourite dinner (as a gift for that kiss on the cheek), and will comes home to his blistered and bandaged forearm and goes what happened what is that?!?! Super worried, genuinely distraught at the idea of hannibal being hurt without his presence. he then brings out the first aid kit and cleans him up right there (even tho the burn has already been cared for) just because "i want to do it i want to take care of you". it’s remnants from the first weeks after their cliff fall, will’s old fears that hannibal will die from the slightest nick due to his damaged immune system. simply the act of putting the skin under lukewarm water, applying cream and wrapping it in bandages mentally soothes will’s nerves. and hannibal lets him do it because he doesn’t want to shield himself away from will anymore. he lets himself be taken care of, even if it’s the strangest thing in the world

[cheemscakecat]

Spy’s Disguise Headcanon Time!

TW: Loss, body horror, angst

The glitchy disguise kit should have been rejected by BLU Spy’s body the first time he tried to use it. But the fact that he was able to keep transforming with it meant that his body accepted it.

Personally, I think that the disguise kit has its own programming that was at risk of being overwritten when it glitched. Maybe the brain and nerve endings sent new commands to the kit when Spy first tried a building disguise.

Either way, the machine aspects of CyberSpy were under his control for a while, like an extension of his actual human body. It didn’t seem at all difficult to get a certain part that functioned like a real building, and it didn’t even take a verbal command.

While this felt like an excellent new tool in the eyes of Buddy Engineer and CyberSpy, it was actually a massive red flag. His body shouldn’t have accepted foreign metal and unnatural transformations. It should have attacked the machinery like a virus. He should have had pain signals all over his body telling him that the machine was dangerous.

Instead, the building aspects assimilated in his body. He didn’t even need the kit to transform past the first incident, which was also a massive red flag. They not only began acting as flesh and weapons, they began acting as an immune system.

The problem is, these mechanical parts were never, ever meant to be part of the human body. They were never designed to protect the body from harm like white blood cells, and had no backup programming should something like this happen.

When Spy took fatal damage, the machine aspects went haywire trying to repair him. The Medic that was always sent to deal with respawn failures had barely interacted with his patient when this became apparent.

I imagine that any attempt to insert an IV or make an incision was met with uncontrolled transformations. The false immune system was trying to protect the body, but was too powerful and unpredictable for the doctor to fix this cyber-mess.

Dr Ludwig was called in after the whole RED team permanently died and most of the local BLU engineers were slaughtered. It’s possible that that particular BLU team was mostly just Engineers, and that might have been why Spy knew how to kill one in the first place.

Maybe they used healing dispensers instead of hiring a local BLU Medic. But that didn’t absolve Buddy Engineer and CyberSpy from their involvement in the deaths. They didn’t report the glitch. They didn’t try to fix it when it first occurred.

They embraced it. Spy kept using these new, unnatural powers without any regard to his health or how unfair the battle would be. Over and over again, the symbiotic relationship between his natural body and this machine was tested and strengthened.

Maybe a Medic could have cut out the invasive metal when the incident first occurred. Maybe there was a way to prevent this from getting so severe. But by the time they called in Dr. Ludwig, it was far too late.

It didn’t take long for the devastating consequences to rear their head. There was no way to stop whatever mutations the glitch had caused. Before, Spy could switch back and forth between human flesh and machine. He started to lose that control.

In response to his injuries and the threat of more created by hallucinations, the metal became dominant. He couldn’t make the buildings go back to being dormant; they replaced parts of his body. He looked the part of a cyborg, whether anyone liked it or not.

Like an infection, it continued to spread. CyberSpy’s declining mental state only made the metal infection spread rapidly. Paranoia and hallucinations set in, and made the machine wary of any person who Spy didn't recognize.

It only took three months for him to get so bad that his head and neck was the last of his humanity, and Buddy Engineer was the only person who could interact with him without being fired at. By four months his mind was gone. Only the machine remained.

Buddy Engineer kept the machine, which somehow remained docile towards him. He kept fixing it and insisting on keeping the battery and fuel tank from running empty. In his mind, that would mean death.

The new teammates went from supportive to concerned. They could see that Buddy Engineer wouldn’t let Spy go, even though he had long since died. They feared that he’d lose his mind talking to that robot much longer. So they reported him to the Admin.

She had the machine confiscated, to Buddy Engineer’s fury. He tried to break into her storage to make sure “Spy” didn’t power down, but he already had by the time he fought enough underlings and found the right crate. Admin had him dismissed from BLU and barred from joining RED.

Grey Mann wanted an army of robots, and he wanted good engineers to design them. Buddy Engineer agreed to help him, even with the annoying caveat that they had to use money as fuel.

He wasn’t the only disgraced Engineer who agreed to Grey Mann’s offer, so they divided up the workload.

Buddy Engineer insisted on designing the robo-spy. He based it off of the lifeless machine that his friend became. Of course, he didn’t trust Grey Mann worth spit, so anything that didn’t directly have to do with Spy work was left out of the manufactured bots. No machine guns or jet packs.

Even so, Buddy’s extremely detailed work impressed the boss, and inspired the others to collaborate with him on the most complicated of the robo-mercs.

[pearlmagick]

IRON BONDS II

pairing : harry potter x reader

synopsis : harry discovers your secret and helps you gain some confidence while also discovering his own boldness.

warnings : mentions of blood , drinking blood

notes : just to clarify, pale does not mean light skin only in this fic !! the word in context is meant be portrayed as your skin tone just without blood.

Over the months, Harry carefully analysed your every move like a secret, obsessive hobby. Could he have simply asked you what had troubled you? Of course, he could, but he had a feeling you would let yourself wallow in your stress by yourself, a feeling he had experience with.

He noted your weariness during the day and the nearly unnoticeable shake of your fingers as you drank your regular “cranberry juice” every dinner. “It’s good for the immune system.” you’d always say when Ron questioned why you drank the tangy liquid so frequently. Your answer sounded almost rehearsed to the trained ears of Harry Potter, who knew the timbre of your voice when you usually chattered about things that interested you.

One night, he strolled the grounds, rubbing the bandages wrapped around his bleeding hand. The consequences of disobeying Umbridge left bloody splotches seeping through the white. His own issues were put behind him when he saw you sitting next to the lake.

Your skin was paled, as though all the warmth in you had chilled. Your eyes seemed brighter under the moonlight and the way your hair contrasted with your skin seemed supernatural.

“Y/N?’ Harry called out. Your hair whipped in the wind as you turned towards him. You, in all your horrific glory, were fully on display to the single person that you wished would never catch you.

Harry’s hand reached out for yours and he felt the cold jolt his system but still held on. His eyebrows cinched closer together, asking the question unspoken. “Summer before fourth year, remember when I couldn’t go to the World Cup with you and the Weasleys?” Harry nodded. “I couldn’t go with you because… because a vampire attacked me. My parents fought back so he didn’t kill me and I just became this. I became a monster. I’ve tried hiding it with charms and potions, changing my teeth and making my skin look normal but it wears off and there’s no cure.” You turned to the moonlight, your eyes glowing from the tears rather than the golden-red halo around your pupils. “I wish he just finished me off that night.”

Your confession felt like another weight had sat on your chest; the weight was lifted almost immediately when Harry pulled you towards him, the warm scents of his freshly laundered shirt and wood enveloped you as his embrace pulled you into a new, more comfortable trance. “I understand why you didn’t tell me but I would never leave you. You’re my best friend, Y/N. I promise I’m not scared. You’ve been trying to control all this by yourself so please, let me help you now.”

Your tears flowed more freely now that you had the assurance that Harry wasn’t going to run away from you; he was here to stay.

The two of you spent the night whispering about your bloody situation. “So, the cranberry juice?” You chuckled and dipped your fingers into the lake, racing to trace the ripples that formed. “Yeah, I couldn’t lie about it being pomegranate juice since I’ve already said I hate pomegranates, but it’s actually cow blood. I haven’t tried human blood before. I thought about it loads of times, but I get afraid that I can’t control myself once I start.”

Harry’s impulsive nature struck as he gave his wild suggestion, ‘I’ve got a pretty fresh wound that I haven't put in murtlap essence yet. Why not drink some of my blood?” If your body had any warmth, you would be burning from the bold yet casual tone in which he delivered his idea.

Unbeknownst to you, Harry’s every nerve prickled with nervousness. What if he was too bold? What if you shot down his idea? What if you didn’t feel as close to him as he does to you?

His last reflection was a new flavour in the soupy mess his thoughts were becoming by the second.

Before he could fully analyse every memory he had with you appearing at the forefront of his mind and how it made him feel, he was thrown off balance by your answer. “I could try.”

Harry saw your hesitation in your pursed lips as if the action would hold off your vampirism entirely. He took the initiative and unwrapped his bandage, bringing his still-bleeding hand close to your lips.

The smell of human blood was enticing and your eyes shifted to a deeper shade of red before you took the leap and drank the small drops of blood that seeped out steadily from the cuts. The metallic taste from Harry’s blood left sweet notes on your palette rather than the rusty cow’s blood you drank. In that moment, you could have drained the boy of all the blood in his body but you regained the restraint you had built over the months and let go of his hand. Harry couldn’t help but smile, “You see, I knew you could do it.” You smiled in return, your pearlescent fangs charming Harry the longer he took in your grin of pride.

The longer you sat there, enjoying each other’s company, the stronger Harry’s confidence was becoming. His boldness had already been a success once, there was a chance that maybe another stroke of impulsiveness would lead to something he didn’t realise he’d been waiting for.

“Y/N?” Harry asked. You hummed in response. “How do you feel about a date?”

[thedisablednaturalist]

Tw for weight loss mention

The whole exercise will cure your disability thing is a fucking joke. Yes exercise is beneficial for your health, but only if you aren't already on shaky foundations. You need to be on a treatment plan that WORKS before going into the maintenance phase. You wouldn't do regular maintenance on a broken item, you'd work on getting it up and running first. And maybe it would even need specialized maintenance afterwards if it's especially fragile.

I have fibromyalgia and acute degenerative disc disease. My immune system attacks my nerves and discs in my spine are slowly calcifying and causing the bones to constrict and damage my nerves (i think thats how it works). I have days where it feels like my body is on fire from nerve pain and days where it feels like my spine is about to rip from my back. And days where I have both (like today!). I get numbness in my hands and feet. I have horrible migraines. I can no longer walk unaided more than maybe 5 minutes without severe pain. I have something wrong with my knees and hips but the doctors don't know what yet.

You'd think I live an obviously seditary lifestyle correct?

Hell no.

I walk aided on average 6 miles a day over difficult terrain OUTSIDE of regular activity almost everyday. My legs are muscular and strong. I get my heart rate up and a good sweat, like all the gym rats swear on. I am often doing physical labor such as weeding, digging, sample collecting, pruning trees etc.

I'm not saying this to make other disabled people feel bad or prove that they can do anything if they just tried harder. This is an extremely painful lifestyle I've chosen that takes a lot of lifestyle management AND BOUNDARIES to keep up with the work. I also have an extremely forgiving boss who is also physically disabled and knows what I'm going through (deciding between your passion and your health and having to do so each and every day) No one should ever be expected to do what I do. I'm not even sure if I should be doing this myself.

This is to prove that exercise? Has not cured me. My muscles are strong but still hurt as if they're broken and I have to take more breaks than my coworker. I am constantly getting out of breath and I flare up regularly if I'm not careful. I am in excellent physical condition outside of my disabilities. I go to different doctors several times a month to get checked out.

I previously went through a diet program and lost a lot of weight (basically starving myself and got off my depression meds which cause weight gain but are also the only ones that work) and guess what? That didn't do shit either!!! I still felt horrible!!! I've since gained back the weight anyway after switching to focusing on adding more nutrient dense foods than taking stuff away from my diet (also muscle weighs more than fat, and fat helps cushion my aching joints and spine).

The muscle doesn't do shit for my disabilities outside of maybe some stability. Exercising everyday doesn't make the pain go away. Without my medications and aids and nutrition plans and steroid injections and spinal adjustments and physical therapy (that takes my fibro and spine into account) and alternative work methods I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO WHAT I DO. Exercise alone is like trying to make a car run with no oil. Yes it'll go but it'll get more and more damaged till it can't and will need its entire engine replaced!

And yet I see new doctors and they look at me and the first thing out of their mouths is do I exercise? I should try doing a little every day :) and then i fucking blow their minds when I tell them about my job. No longer can they use that fucking cop out on me. I've been through this rodeo. Ive tried their suggestions. If you are in pain and nothing is helping? Exercise ain't going to do SHIT. You need to get to a point where you can move without severe pain first (if that's even possible). Then and only then should you consider implementing regular exercise if you can. Also weight loss talk is a red flag and a cop out. They made me lose 50+ lbs before they would look into the reasons behind my pain. Weight loss did nothing for me and exacerbated my pain.

I am living proof that all that shit is a lie and a cop out. That is the point of this post. I cannot believe people with serious medical conditions are being forced to put their bodies through extreme duress just to be believed. You are not disabled because of laziness or because you sit a lot. Plenty of people live seditary lifestyles and do not live in constant excruciating pain (they may develop disabilities later in life due to this however, and should be doing preventative exercises to maintain their health)

Please, share my story with doctors. Use me as an example. I am proof that "exercise first treat later" does not work. I should not have had to wait years to have my pain validated. I'd rather hundreds of fakers get (what? A blood test? An MRI?) than one chronically ill person get told to try yoga and go away by a doctor.

[somebodylovesyougcv]

no cause walter o’brien’s relationship with his sister megan is so special to me it makes me sick to think about. walter doesn’t understand love or how to process human emotions or how to handle the idea of a problem that cannot be solved. enter megan, his older sister, the only person in the world who has ever understood him and loved him in that unconditional way only a sibling can. megan, who has a degenerative nerve disease and is going to die. and there’s nothing walter can do about it. and you watch him try so desperately to save her. he builds a rocket engine to win millions of dollars in grant money to fund research into saving her life. into solving a problem that no one has been able to solve, a problem that doesn’t have a real answer: why is megan’s immune system attacking itself? walter can’t handle it and you watch him try every way he can to cope with it, you watch the awkward and irrational and desperate way he cares for her and loves her. the most special person in the world to him. and she dies anyways. he isn’t able to save her. but knowing her and loving her gives him the push to grow emotionally and try to feel that close to someone else the way he felt to her

[wheelie-sick]

"I can't stop playing video games I'm so paralyzed" vs my mouth and face are slowly paralyzing themselves because my immune system won't stop attacking my cranial nerves. I gag and choke on everything I swallow including my own saliva- this is dangerous. I drool, both in my sleep and when I'm awake. I slur my speech which makes people think I am drunk. I have strabismus.

[justkidneying]

Why you can't actually transplant eyes (yet)

This one didn't win the poll, but someone specifically asked for this topic, so I'll write about it anyways. Also, as someone who is working towards being a trauma surgeon, this is a topic I'm really passionate about.

So, I think a lot of people have a misconception about whether or not it is possible to transplant eyes. We transplant a lot of other stuff, so why not eyes? Well, you can transplant pieces of the eye, like the cornea, the clear part at the front of your eye (which is avascular). You can also replace the lens with an artificial one (the lens is also avascular). This is how you can fix cataracts, just taking out the old shitty lens and putting in a clear new one. That procedure can be done in a clinic in like thirty minutes (which is fuckin crazy if you ask me).

But what we're talking about here is taking out the entire eyeball and replacing it with a donor eye. It sounds cool as hell, so why is it so hard? First off, the eye is a part of the central nervous system (the first two cranial nerves, are in fact part of the CNS, not the PNS). So the optic nerve (CN II) is what carries special sensory information to the dorsal brain (occipital lobe). To control eye movement, you have CN III, IV, and VI (oculomotor, trochlear, and abducens nerves). The oculomotor nerve controls eye movement, pupil constriction, and the upper eyelid. The trochlear nerve controls movement of the eye downwards, outwards, or to the nose. The abducens nerve moves the eye outwards. Several other nerves are involved in keeping the gaze level with movement, visual tracking, and parasympathetic/sympathetic functions (rest and digest vs. fight or flight). The point is, eye nerves are complicated as hell.

The blood flow to parts of the eye is also very complicated, and is very difficult to properly reattach for full perfusion (esp the retina).

Now, onto the good parts. So the eye is what is called "immune privileged." This means it has protections against the immune function of the body (to avoid autoimmune attacks). The eye has no lymphatics, few immune cells, and immune suppressing chemicals. This makes it a great place for implants, as it is unlikely that the body will attack the foreign tissue (stem cell implants are becoming more common).

The first whole eye transplant was done about a year ago (November 2023), and so far the eye is still there with adequate blood flow. However, the guy can't actually see out of it. The surgery took 21 hours and involved a huge team of some of the best surgeons in the world. It was not an easy thing to do. They also implanted some stem cells with the optic tract in hopes to regenerate it, but that still hasn't restored vision in the eye. So, while this case is a major win in the area of eye transplants, there is still a ways to go.

So why do we even need to do so many eye transplants? Well, all kinds of things can lead to the loss of the eye, whether it be disease or trauma. Surgeons try very hard to keep the eyes in a patient, but that isn't always possible. Sometimes the tissue is too destroyed for repair or the damage causes permanent pain. Enucleation is the removal of the eye. Usually, as much of the optic nerve is left as possible, as well as the musculature. Possible options after healing include fake eyes (like glass ones), which can be crazy realistic and can be moved with the eye muscles.

I hope this was an interesting read, and thanks for reading my ramblings. I didn't feel like the typical post format would work for this one, and I like to imagine it like a bonus since it didn't win the poll, lol.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

By Amy Norton

The virus can trick your body into attacking itself.

Brittany Underwood was 37 when she was hit with COVID early in 2021. Her case was mild, and, like the mom she is, she took care of everyone else because of course the rest of her family had it too. It wasn’t until a couple weeks later that she started to feel lousy—wiped out, constantly thirsty, and dealing with weird issues like blurry vision in one eye.

When Underwood brought those symptoms to her doctor, he decided to run some blood tests. “My blood sugar was through the roof,” Underwood tells SELF. It was so high, in fact, she ended up in the hospital that same day, where they handed her a diagnosis that would change her life: type 1 diabetes.

This autoimmune disease is most often diagnosed by the age of 14—it used to be known as juvenile diabetes because it’s the type that most often hits kids, teens, and young adults. Because Underwood was approaching 40, her case was unusual. But her doctors raised a possible explanation: She’d just had COVID, and they suspected the infection might have triggered her diabetes.

Nearly four years later, we have a lot more than suspicions. In fact, the pandemic has been blamed for a spike in type 1 diabetes. New cases in kids and teens jumped up 16% in the first 12 months of the pandemic and 28% in the following year. (Before 2020, the typical increase was 2% to 3% per year.) And it’s not just type 1. Other autoimmune diseases—including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, and lupus—went up too. Exactly why that happens isn’t fully clear, Sonia Sharma, PhD, an associate professor at La Jolla Institute for Immunology, in La Jolla, California, tells SELF. “But,” she adds, “we do have some clues.”

When your immune system turns on you The idea that COVID could set off a chronic autoimmune disease might seem out there. But, Dr. Sharma says, “it’s not a new concept at all.” Autoimmune diseases are caused by a misguided immune system attack on the body’s own healthy tissue. For that to happen, a perfect storm of conditions has to come together. Genes definitely matter, Dr. Sharma says, since autoimmune diseases tend to run in families, and studies have tied certain genes to higher risks of the conditions. (Underwood says she has a family history of autoimmune diseases.) Your sex assigned at birth matters too: Autoimmune diseases are way more common in women than men, Dr. Sharma notes (though anyone can get them).

But those kinds of risk factors aren’t enough on their own. People have to be exposed to one or more “triggers” that tip the immune system into self-attack mode. And microbes are among those potential sparks, Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, professor of immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine, tells SELF.

Studies have linked a slew of infections—including super-common ones like the flu, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus—to various autoimmune diseases. Epstein-Barr, which eventually infects nearly everyone and is usually no big deal, may be the prime example: A recent study found that the infection likely plays a role in most cases of multiple sclerosis (an autoimmune disease that destroys the protective covering around nerve fibers).

There are different theories on exactly how it happens, but Dr. Iwasaki offers a (relatively) basic overview. First, she says, it’s a little known fact that everybody has some number of immune system cells that are “autoreactive,” meaning they’re capable of going rogue against you. Thankfully, they usually don’t. But in certain people, under certain circumstances, an infection might “activate” those autoreactive immune cells.

“Once they’re activated,” Dr. Iwasaki explains, “they can divide and travel to different tissues in the body, and may start to attack your own cells.” All of that, she adds, is more likely to happen when an infection generates lots of inflammation in the body. An ordinary cold probably won’t do that, but COVID might.

How big is the risk? Even though it can seem like we’ve been living with COVID forever, it’s still a very new thing. Because of that, Dr. Sharma says, it’s only recently that studies have been able to turn up strong evidence that the infection does trigger autoimmune diseases.

That includes this 2023 study of close to 4 million Americans. It found that people diagnosed with COVID had higher odds of developing autoimmune diseases over the next six months, versus COVID-free people. On average, they were roughly three times more likely to be diagnosed with conditions like RA, lupus, psoriasis, celiac disease, and type 1 diabetes.

Really important to point out here: Although three times more likely might sound huge, the risk of any one person developing an autoimmune disease after COVID is still low, Sara Martin, MD, medical director of Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Adult Post-Acute COVID Clinic, in Nashville, tells SELF.

Another 2023 study, published in Clinical Rheumatology, helps put things into context. It found that of 565,000 people with COVID and no history of autoimmune disease, 1% were diagnosed with an autoimmune condition over the next 3 to 15 months. That was 43% higher than the rate among people who didn’t have COVID during the same period. Although that sounds like a lot, it was an increase from roughly 11 to 15 cases per 1,000 people per year. So…not a huge amount, but not something to dismiss either. And if you’re one of the unlucky people who does develop an autoimmune condition, that’s a heavy toll.

“All of a sudden I had this huge life-altering thing,” Underwood says of her diabetes diagnosis. People with type 1 have to take insulin injections every day to stay alive. So Underwood was forced to quickly learn the intricacies of carb counting, adjusting insulin doses, timing meals to avoid dangerous blood sugar drops—and managing them when they did happen. Time and experience, as well as connecting with other people with type 1 diabetes, have taught Underwood a lot. “But I’m still learning, three years later,” she says. “It’s just a constant thing. You can’t take a day off.”

Is there a way to protect yourself? At this point, many of us have had COVID more times than we’d prefer. So does your immune system get used to the virus, and maybe make an autoimmune reaction less likely?

Unfortunately, Dr. Iwasaki says, there’s reason to believe the answer is no. That’s based on what researchers have learned about long COVID, a collection of symptoms like extreme fatigue and brain fog that hits many people post-infection. Prior bouts of COVID do not seem to lower the odds of developing long COVID (and the risk might even go up each time you’re infected). Long COVID, Dr. Iwasaki notes, is different from autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes and RA because the cause isn’t clear and may be due in part to direct damage caused by the virus. But she and other researchers have found that autoimmune reactions to COVID infection may also be behind long COVID symptoms, at least in some people. “I think that’s one clue that reinfection would not lower the risk of autoimmune disease,” Dr. Iwasaki says.

Okay, now for the good news: COVID vaccination might be protective. For one, Dr. Martin says, research shows that vaccination can lower the risk of long COVID, and the more vaccine doses you get, the greater the protection.

There’s also this large study published last year by researchers in China, which found that although COVID was associated with an increase in many autoimmune conditions, those risks were lower among people who’d gotten at least two COVID vaccine doses, versus unvaccinated people.

It’s “absolutely” plausible that vaccination helps, Dr. Sharma says. Vaccination, she explains, primes your immune system to stop the COVID virus “at the front door”—your respiratory tract—so that it can’t hitch a ride around the body, churning up inflammation and, potentially, an autoimmune reaction. And while people can develop autoimmune disease after a mild case of COVID (as Underwood did), research suggests that the odds might be substantially greater if you become severely ill.

“We already recommend vaccination for everyone,” Dr. Martin points out. “It reduces the potential for severe COVID, and we know it also reduces the risk of long COVID.” If you’re worried about autoimmune disease (say, because you have a family history of them), Dr. Martin says that’s one more reason to stay up-to-date on your COVID shots.

[pensivegladiola]

Somebody asked a really interesting question on r/writing so I thought I would share my answer here as a health/medical person. Not comprehensive, just initial thoughts.

What would be some realistic drawbacks/consequences to overusing a potion or ability that rapidly speeds up healing?

———

Improper wound healing:

Chronic wound that reopens after healing

Excess and painful scar tissue

Swollen limbs (limbs filled with fluids like pus that aren’t able to drain properly if skin is sealed right away)

Mis-colored skin, thickened skin

Nerve damage, chronic pain in limb, loss of sensation, tingling in extremities

You could also have it trigger an autoimmune disorder where the immune system begins to attack its own organs because it mistakes them as foreign material. OR a neurological chronic pain disorder like fibromyalgia where the nervous system chronically overactivates pain response because it mistakes the body as being injured all the time.

If the potion is poisonous in larger quantities…

Dizziness, difficulty breathing, altered mental state, altered skin color indicating lack of oxygen (cyanotic) or liver damage (jaundice)

Excess vomiting —> hypovolemic shock

Vomiting blood after stomach lining is damaged

Kidney failure

Neurological damage- tremors, disorientation, headaches, eye abnormalities (trouble seeing, constricted or blown out pupils, unresponsive pupils, pupils that don’t match in size), hearing issues, altered sense of taste or smell, agitation, hallucinations

Cell growth:

Unmitigated cell regeneration/replication —> tumors

During infection:

Body overactivates fever response —> altered mental status and risk of death by encephalitis (brain swelling)

Body overactivates clotting cascade —> Disseminated intravascular coagulation (I.e. the body starts throwing random clots in the bloodstream, freaks out, overcorrects and causes severe internal bleeding leading to organ failure)

Over activation of multiple immune cascades in response to infection —> sepsis (~50% fatal, no particularly effective treatment - fever, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, fast heart rate, and mental confusion)