#which with my health conditions..... i can't work because i can't maintain that long of standing and walking around or lifting

[bringmefoxgloves]

screaming weeping and wailing: i think i need to get a job

[ms-demeanor]

I went diabetic earlier this year, since then I've had far more serious health concerns to really focus on it. I've listened to my primary care and reduced my average a1c from 13 to 7. I've recently been looking into diets and what not that are the best. Currently, I'm trying to cut out all carbs, on my doctor's orders. What I'm seeing though is that a plant based diet is best. It looks like a ketogenic diet is what my doctor wants me to follow? I've watched videos on both diets and I don't know, I agree with you that keto is evil. What are your thoughts about this?

I am not a medical professional so i can't give you medical advice, but I'd say that you should ask your doctor for a referral to a dietician (an RD or an RDN, NOT a "nutritionist" - RD/RDN are protected terms that mean they have completed specific training and have specific board certification) and ask the dietician for advice on your specific dietary needs for your specific medical conditions.

What I can say is that trying to cut all carbs is pretty dangerous - not only is it a macronutrient that our body uses as the most available fuel for your body processes (we *can* get fuel from protein and fat, and ketones can *theoretically* replace sugars for energy but nobody is actually sure how long our bodies can do that and we know it's a LOT less efficient, it's supposed to be less efficient, and what that means is it makes a lot of people feel exhausted when they try it because they literally have less available energy) but also there are certain nutrients that are fortified in the US that are going to be hard to get if you're cutting carbs completely. The example that I always use is folate, because when I had to cut wheat out of my diet (i have grain allergies and celiac disease) I didn't know to supplement it and ended up with a form of anemia and stuff like "fainting" and "dizziness" and "low oxygen saturation."

Which is part of why massive diet changes should be undertaken with the assistance of a dietician! That's why I started studying nutrition! Because nobody supervised my medically necessary diet changes and it went very poorly!

Your GP very likely doesn't have a ton of training on nutrition, and is even less likely to have training on nutrition specific to your condition. If your GP is telling you to cut all carbs, they are telling you to do something dangerous and not nutritionally sound (even really restrictive keto diets call for 20g of carbs a day). Ask either them or your endocrinologist for a referral to a dietician (again, you are looking for a Registered Dietician or a Registered Dietician Nutritionist, RD or RDN, NOT just 'nutritionist') who is familiar with helping diabetics manage their nutrition.

Now, all of that said, in the choice between two fairly restrictive diets I will always say to try the one that requires less effort. It is much easier to eat a plant-based diet long term than a keto diet, and it is vanishingly unlikely that you are going to end up protein deficient (the primary concern for most people who are starting plant based diets, and it's just not all that likely - we need a lot less protein than a lot of people seem to think; though if you're going completely vegan you do need to be careful to supplement your B vitamins and to ensure that you're getting plenty of omega fats)

Because the thing is, for a diet to "work" you have to be on that diet forever. If you stop being on that diet, and stop adhering to its restrictions, whatever benefits exist for that diet go away. So the best diet for *anybody* is one that will provide them with the nutrients they need in a way that they can access regularly and affordably, that they enjoy eating and can comfortably maintain for long periods of time, and that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables because the only diet advice that is nearly universally applicable is that people should be eating more fruits and vegetables and they should be eating a wider variety of them.

I am not a fan of "diets" as a concept and I think that people should think of nutrition in terms of "my diet" not "the diet that is meant to be one-size-fits-all for millions of people that I am attempting." Your diet is what you eat and drink, and that is what you should be looking at adjusting. If you want to reduce carbs in your diet it's better to tweak your consumption than it is totally replace your diet with a one size fits all keto diet. If you want to increase fat in your diet it is better to tweak your consumption than it is to replace your diet with a one size fits all atkins diet. If you want to go plant based I think it is better to start by adjusting your diet to include more plants and to slowly replace animal based products than by trying a one size fits all vegan diet right out of the gate. You can always (and should!) make adjustments to what you eat as circumstances change and you may end up at a vegan diet or a low carb high fat diet and find that that works for you, but part of the reason that I think nutrition studies on diets are so screwy and hard to pin down is because your body is going to *flip the fuck out* when you change from, say, an average american diet to a study-provided Mediterranean diet for a 12 week experiment. If you drastically change your diet all at once and get good results immediately it's very hard to say if those results will be lasting because your body may just adjust to the "new normal" of your diet six months down the line.

But like seriously if your GP is telling you to cut all carbs you need to see a person who specializes in nutrition, and to prepare for your appointment with that person you should make a list of your goals (for you it sounds like you want to manage your blood sugar levels, reduce a1c, and *ask about* low carbs if that is something that interests you), a list of things you think that you'll have trouble with or that you want to include in your diet because they're important to you (if you really like nuts but have to be on a low fat diet, ask if there's a way to work around that with your needs, for example; if there is a cultural staple that you will find difficult to cut from family meals, TELL THEM THAT), a list of questions that you have about different types of diets, and *VERY IMPORTANTLY* information about your food budget and cooking skills. Be clear about it if you can't cook. Be clear about it if you can't afford certain ingredients.

Anyway. Once again, not medical advice, please speak to a medical professional, good luck.

[glossysoap]

Besides tue point that covid has left many people literally disabled and unable to maintain a regime needed to loose weight. And there are so many diseases that keep you from exercising. Including mental health. Bes8des the point that everybody should be allowed to exist in their body regardless. I for example have hashimoto and even with my doc knowing it took ages to realise that the hormone I need is produces but I can't absorb it. Hence pretty much uncontrolled weight gain even though on paper I live on a kalorien deficit for years now. So no it's not sinple or black and white and I am struggling to see anything loveable in myself. And the fics do help on that front

tw fatphobia

at first i thought this was the fatphobic anon but after reading it, it’s clearly not. ily anon. i kinda used this as an open letter to the fatphobic anon that i recently reblogged so just know that none of this is aimed at you, anon.

see exactly. there’s so many factors to weight loss and what contributes to that, that it’s not just a black and white situation.

i love the point you made about covid because that’s so true!! not only can you become disabled as a result of it, and gyms and such also became inaccessible due to close proximity to others. and the symptoms of long covid are no joke! those disabilities that some ppl have gained from covid never went away, that goes for lung and heart conditions that they gained as a result.

and don’t even get me started on PCOS and hashimoto’s. i’m like 99% sure i have either of those, maybe both, whatever. and the way that no diet works truly drives me insane.

and if you know me, you know fatphobia is personal because i’m obviously fat but i’ve also had a record number of fatphobic comments sent my way this year, and many of it by an ex friend no less.

i’ve heard that fat people shouldn’t hike, don’t go to gyms, just stay in your house. oh, but i thought we were lazy? i thought we should work out? i thought we should be at the gym?

i’ve heard that fat people shouldn’t wear work out clothes or anything like that. anything remotely tight. i’ve heard people say “well just lose weight” when fat people bring up reasonable criticisms over the lack of sizing in any clothing.

bitch, do you just want us to be naked? do you want us to wear a plastic bag? and what if a fat person is actually working towards losing weight, what then? do they not deserve to wear clothes while they do it? and even if they’re not working towards losing weight, what the fuck do you want fat people to wear? nothing? i’m so serious.

god forbid something is catered to fat people. god forbid you skinny people feel a bit excluded because someone mentions stretch marks (which skinny people have too actually!) or a fat ass or plush hips. literally go cry me a river. everything is catered to you in the world, literally everything. you are the model standard. you are the mannequin in all the stores. you are the sizes that every store carries.

you’ll be just fine if a fic isn’t catered to you.

and you’ll be just fine if someone’s fat. it doesn’t affect you in any way. no, no matter what you say, it doesn’t. you’re not “concerned for their health” because then you’d be going around yapping in any skinny person’s ear that vapes or drinks alcohol or energy drinks or does drugs. oh but you’re not, are you?

you’ll be fine. the world will keep spinning if a fic isn’t catered to you. you’ll be fine if people are fat.

the world will keep spinning.

also, military men love fat ppl 👍

[kedreeva]

Do you think you could give your opinions on the recessive / lethal yellow genes in mice? Do you think you'd ever consider breeding recessive yellow? (If you haven't already.) I'm just super curious about your thoughts on them as I don't really know a lot about genetics. Do you think it's possible to breed a consistently healthy line of yellow mice? I'm just super curious to hear your thoughts as a breeder

Well, this is a kind of long answer and I'll warn it discusses animal death, so I'll put it behind a cut.

Personally, I wouldn't, but not because of ethics concerns; I just don't like any of the colors made with RY/AY. They're just not visually appealing to me. I had a couple RY pop up from the Taylor black line when I first got it, and they were just enh. A good, rich red, esp a satin red, can be a really perfect looking mouse... but by god that's years of work and it never ends because Red is such a hard phenotype to maintain and I'm just not that determined. I'm convinced that people breed for red because seeing it opens all the ferret cages in their brain, not because they can be normal about it. If you want good reds, it's like you dedicate your life (and mousery) to it or you don't do it, and my life's already dedicated to the peafowl. My mousery is already dedicated to blacks and tricolors.

As for the AY gene itself, it's a "lethal" gene in that homozygosity is lethal but it's lethal at the blastocyst stage so it's not really an ethical problem imo. If it was lethal as in the pups deteriorate and die post partum, or if it caused well developed pups to die/be stillborn such that it caused the dam health risks, then it would be a problem. But, it doesn't. You just get smaller litters because some cells die way early on and get reabsorbed. I don't really have any problems with that. Show breeders cull litters down to 4-6 pups (for dam and pup health reasons), so it's not like all of them would be turning into adults anyway.

As for the genetic issues with the adult mice, there are three major health issues. The first is obesity (sort of), and the major problem there is keeping them in breeding shape (meaning, capable of doing the do at all). Curiously, in at least one study I remember seeing, there's a difference between an obese mouse of X color mutation and an AY that's considered obese because of its natural body type; for example, an obese black mouse will likely have a shortened lifespan, whereas an AY mouse doesn't (at least not less than any other mouse color mutation) unless it's obese for an AY. So this isn't really a problem as long as the breeder is watching their diet and ensuring they stay fit for their body type.

The other two genetic problems actually are health issues related directly to the AY gene, and that's being prone to diabetes and to tumors. However, these are both things that (any good) breeders would notice, cull, and therefore not breed forward, in order to keep the line as free from them as possible. Which really isn't any different than any other line that develops health problems of any sort. People don't keep health problems. A good breeder should be and usually is aware of the potential health problems in the lines they are breeding, particularly if it's a genetic one that can't be avoided (like you can't avoid AY if you're breeding AY), and will know what to look for and intervene as soon as possible. Diabetic mice urinate excessively so it's REALLY noticeable, and tumors... well. Hard to miss. And tumors of various sorts is a fairly common "select away from/cull" problem in any mutation, it's just slightly higher risk in AY.

So the short answer, in my opinion, AY isn't really an unethical gene to work with. It's not one I'd choose to work with, but I don't think the people who do are doing anything wrong just for working with the gene at all. It comes down to the same ethics as any other mutation; working to maintain body condition and selecting for health.

Honestly, out of all the animals I've seen bred and bred myself, I think mouse breeders in general have proven themselves to be the most concerned with what's best for the animal, not the breeder. The show clubs like FMBA and AFRMA etc won't recognize standards for things like snub noses or manx tails or anything else that would potentially seriously impact QoL by nature of existing at all, and at least in the groups I'm in, the members are not shy about recognizing when health problems mean no breeding for a mouse regardless of how pretty or sweet. When someone newer asks what to do, I've never seen anyone support trying to breed a mouse with issues, or usually even keep one whose QoL would be poor. They are very familiar with the kindest thing you can do is let them go. It's a breath of fresh air from the goddamn chicken groups, who will limp along any bird that's still breathing regardless of what's best for the bird.

I think the only morph I've seen that I have an ethical problem with is the X-brindle gene, which is a "brindle" gene on the X chromosome that causes the mouse to be unable to absorb copper. This means that the males DO founder and die after birth (which means most people just humanely euthanize the male pups, they aren't out here letting them suffer that I've seen), and females get a strange coat color and curled whiskers from low copper absorption. Does have a second X gene that's clean so they still can, but it's really an unnecessary mutation to continue imo. It hasn't been recognized by the show clubs that I know of, but idk if they can be shown under normal brindle or if you can tell at a glance, as I don't really know as much about them or any of the AY gene specifics. I have basic knowledge but since i don't breed them myself it's very in passing knowledge. I know it's rarely bred or worked with in the first place, and I hope it stays that way or disappears entirely.

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

By resistance I was referring to When everyone was taking on nine in the final battle in the series.

Ah so that's what you meant. My bad, anon😅

So for anyone reading this, the ask anon is referring to can be found here.

I'll answer your previous question with this bit of clarification in mind (and under the cut cause I kind of went off😂)

ㅤ

I think just like with the very first ask my question is "how/when does this come about", of which there are a few options in my eyes.

Nine cloned himself before meeting Sonic

Nine cloned himself after meeting Sonic and before being captured by the Chaos council

Nine cloned himself after the S2 finale

With that being said, though, I find these options to be most to least plausible in the order presented. While Nine pre-Sonic did not think he needed anyone (and while I maintain that he's more likely to build a robot for help during this time than clone himself), this point of time is before he really deals with the identity crisis of possibly just being a copy of someone else. So I think this is an era where as long as the conditions are right, he can clone himself without first worrying about what it means to not be the only "you" out there.

And for option 2, I can largely see him resorting to doing this so he can have more of him doing what he needs. Though it's only a choice I can see him making as long as he's under the assumption that he's the original and has command over the others before cloning himself, I think having multiple versions of himself with the same vision would allow him to multitask (in this case, work on building the Grim into this perfect home for himself and Sonic while being able to go get Sonic, for instance). I can see him starting out believing that it's just a tactic he's using to have more hands on deck (+ assistance with the same cares and intelligence level as himself).

For option 3, though, I really only see this as plausible or a good choice narratively as long as he has the time to go about making a whole machine to clone himself, already has a method to clone himself (one that creates a permanent being like the alpha grim robots rather than a temporary one like the grim troopers), and/or still has the time and energy to make robots anyways. This is because the gap between Nine leaving Ghost Hill and Sonic and Shadow arriving in The Grim is presumably not a very long span of time. And while this could easily be handled by making time slower in The Grim compared to Ghost Hill, I still...I don't know. Unless the time it takes is ungodly slow (like we're talking a few weeks for The Grim versus like less than a day in Ghost Hill), I personally feel like cloning himself and building the robots is too many things to happen in the same short span of time (no matter how the clones are created).

Of course, you're probably wondering why he has to build the robots at all in this hypothetical au. This is largely because even if I rewrote S3 and stretched it out some (which I probably would if I was going to make an au like this), Nine can't do so much as protect The Grim without them, much less win an all out war. Having other versions of himself is very helpful for diagnostics, coming up with ideas, getting a lot of detail work done at once, etc. But although Nine can fight, he's at least a decent strategist. And if (during the s3 period) he needs to send someone out for scouting or gathering things, then he needs something most suited to the job. If he needs cannon fodder or fighters during the war or in case someone attacks him, better to have some resilient robots he can just resurrect with prism energy than send out a clone of himself, and to have multiple different kinds of fighters to cover a range of possible attacks and employ different strategies. If he has to fight a war with just himself and some clones, he'll likely be overwhelmed pretty fast (even if they're all in full health) because of the types of fighters and manpower the resistance has on their side. Even if they're just clones, I don't think he'd want to deal with seeing them die, and it's also unlikely that they'd agree to go out there just to die/be captured (because since they *are* Nine, they'd share his sense of self preservation). Final reason he'd build the robots, though, is that at very baseline I think (due to Nine's character) he'd either build Alpha Grim Sonic or revive Chaos Sonic, because even if he's "no longer alone" because of his clones, I don't think his attachment to Sonic and how "the betrayal" at the end of S2 affected Nine about it can be overstated. I kind of always see him turning to creating a robotic version of Sonic as a response to this, given how he still feels that attachment (and the hurt from the s2 finale), despite trying to act like he's over Sonic or doesn't care about him.

But I digress. All in all, I think a good middleground (and a prospect I like the most) is option 2, where Nine creates the clones after Sonic disappears at the end of S1 E3.

ㅤ

Okay, with the the how and when out of the way, let's move onto the effectiveness in taking out the resistance and camaraderie.

And honestly, I agree! If we go with option 2, and the clones have been around since after Sonic left New Yoke for the first time, there's a lot of time there for Nine and his clones to get used to each other and come to a sort of understanding. While I'd probably have to write a fic to figure out exactly how they all naturally are to each other (in my personal opinion) and how they all eact around each other by season 3, I can really only see them being more close knit after the season 2 finale.

After all, Sonic "betrayed" all of them by proxy, and if any of them are attached to Sonic half as much as Nine is, well...

Honestly even if most of the clones or all of them don't have any attachment to Sonic, it's probably enough that the original Nine is driven to make it so their group is without anyone else in a home of their making now.

With this, I think if we keep S3 as is (with the addition of the clones of course), I can see them talking over certain decisions they can afford to take even a minute of time over or at least trying to relegate roles of focus. With all of them and the robots, they theoretically have the potential to clean house and mitigate some of S3 Nine's exhaustion by either sharing or trading the strain/duty of drawing power from the paradox prism around. However, I think this is best case senario. This assumes they have different ideas but come to conclusions quickly, are confident enough to not be as bothered by the time limit of the universe breaking down as s3 Nine was, that they work together well in tandem without much infighting or friction, that they don't all (or most) end up working themselves to exhaustion, and that Nine shares his burden rather than taking it upon himself to handle the prism.

This is all to say that depending on the interpersonal relationships within the group and Nine's feeling of trust with the clones, with factoring in some slack for mistakes, quick decisions, or some friction, things can go...largely the same as s3. While they have the potential to be their own people, the clones are still all Nine. And we're assuming that they all wish to have "home", just as Nine does. And a lot of Nine's actions or impulsiveness plus his getting worse as the episodes go on are a combination of his working himself to the bone, trying to keep up a specific act despite exhaustion, feeling the increasing urgency as everything (and his potential "home") is breaking down, and becoming more and more cornered, with the threat of being killed or losing his home should he lose to the resistance immenent. Essentially, the conditions at the end of the season put him at his worst, at his most impulsive, and at his least sound of mind. I don't think the clones would be immune to this cycle either. Even IF only the original Nine handles the prism and we, say, have enough Nine clones to each command a subset of Grim Robots, I can very well see this group starting off fairly confident (or trying to seem to be) while working together to get Sonic, and end up working themselves without rest as the stakes ramp up and doom is immenent.

Now, anon, you mentioned that perhaps the only way they can be stopped would be to point out their camradere. While I suppose that's not impossible for an au such as this one, personally I think there are two outcomes under my framework if S3 has largely the same structure (just with the Nine clones added in) and Nine and the clones are winning at the end.

Nine and the clones successfully detain Sonic and drive the resistance to exhaustion or near death. They drain Sonic's energy.

Close to the S3 ending, Sonic personally comes for Nine and ends up falling into his lab with him. Sonic manages to wind things down and the fighting comes to a stop, as Sonic refuses to let either side die.

If Nine and the clones are cleaning house, I arrive to the same impression I'm sure drove anon's earlier ask. In this case, that Nine and the clones would not be prepared to stop or consider the damage if they do clean house and come close to winning. Sonic is the only one they need alive, and once you get someone desperate and cornered enough reason flies out the window. It's also important that once the resistance was winning the war at the end of the season, they weren't prepared to just stop fighting either. In other words, the conditions are right and tensions are high enough (and both sides, minus the inclusion of Sonic, hardly like each other or believe the other would spare their lives and homes) that without intervention (Sonic), they're each prepared to drive the other side to "punishment" (whatever that would mean).

So in all honesty these two options represent two outcomes. The first is the outcome where the clones get ahold of Sonic and quickly work to drain him and fix the Grim, not planning on stopping until all threats to home and safety are neutralized, and until they've finished lashing out. The second is the outcome where whether they get ahold of Sonic or not, Sonic plays mediator at the end, hammering in his (Sonic's) personal wish to see that all the people he cares about are allowed the right to live and have a home.

Does this sound like I'm saying that only Sonic can stop Nine and the clones under this framework? Yes. That is what I'm saying.

Sonic the Hedgehog by the end of S3 is the only one who cares about the well-being of both sides, and is the only one with any positive attachment to Nine. Plus, under S3's framework, he's the only one who really puts his anger and self destructive tendencies aside during the battle and tries to stay true to his ideals as well as a bit more sound of mind. Nine and the clones have been interacting with and dealing with each other for a while now, and they'd already be prepared for the idea of living in the Grim alone together. So pointing out their camradere or that they could be like a family to each other would be like...praising someone's teamwork.

No, once reason flies out the window and everyone is exhausted, acting on their negative emotions, and lashing out as they feel cornered and threatened by death.

Only reason can calm things down.

The very first outcome would be reason through revelation, as Nine and the clones have to deal with the reality of the consequences of draining Sonic of prism energy. However, the only reason I can see this bringing is to redirect Nine's attention from the losing of his home (since restoring the paradox prism allows him to fix that) to Sonic's life instead. With his home intact, it *could* be a situation of focusing on what's important. However, while this option can bring some reason, it would do nothing to actually stop the fighting altogether or defuse tensions, especially if Sonic doesn’t manage to successfully convince everyone to stop in this outcome. Even if Nine and the clones succeed and then have to deal with the fallout of draining Sonic emotionally, they're also going to have to deal with a resurgence in anger and pushback from the resistance for doing so.

And the second outcome well. This would lead it largely the same as the end of S3. Sonic would be able to make his intentions clear, wind things down, get everyone to agree to leave each other alone in their homes in peace, and get Nine to use the prism to restore everyone's homes. Under this outcome, while someone pointing out their camradere may not do anything to stop the war, I think that the clones and Nine being a group or family for each other would help *after* S3's war. While things would naturally end bittersweetly as before, Sonic (and us, the viewer/reader) would at least be able to hold onto the fact that even if everyone is separated, Nine won't be left in the Grim alone.

ㅤ

Or, tl;dr

While I don't think pointing out their camraderie would stop them, I agree with anon that they have the potential to clean house and be even more overwhelming to the resistance during the war.

[andmyvape]

You know...

People talk about drugs like if you give someone who wants them whatever drug they're asking for in whatever amount they're asking for, they'll become hopelessly addicted and ruin their lives

Now I'm not arguing that addiction isn't fucking awful but I fervently believe those in the newer circles of rehabilitative care theory that are putting forward the idea that addiction, at its core, is self medication. Unregulated, self destructive self medication in too many cases, but it's not the drugs themselves in so many cases, huffing paint thinner and other examples not withstanding, but honestly I don't think people would do that if they had alternatives that ARE less damaging.

It's the pain and lack of support that drives so many people to alleviate their pain or stress which really is just pain too by numbing it with drugs. It helps, but they don't regulate, they don't find alternatives to cope with whatever they're medicating that lighten the need for the medication alone, their tolerance builds up, they don't know what they're medicating enough to know how to do that consciously and more safely...

It's a nightmare that is truly systemic, not some moral failing or some contagion inherent to the human spirit. I can't currently think of any example of an organism that wouldn't practice homeostasis when outside of whatever range of normal function they're supposed to be in. Not for some philosophical or spiritual reason, in this sense specifically it is purely biological, and I find it to be DEEPLY disturbing that so many people I encounter in my life INSIST that being in constant discomfort is somehow a state to aspire to and be proud of. Being able to safely handle exiting a space that would provide you homeostasis means being able to MAINTAIN that homeostasis when you go elsewhere or do other things. It's NOT about giving in to the idea that if you prefer to be comfortable that you are somehow weak or inferior. That is not a mark of strength, it's a mark of how damaged a person is.

Grandpa, stop ranting about my generation not wanting to be "triggered" you literally JUST threw a hissy fit because they didn't have your slim jims at the corner store and the cashier wouldn't give it to you for free. Your comfort is predicated on unfairly demanding behaviors from others that is not being reciprocated in a worthwhile way. I don't think that's more valid than my being upset that a man who claims to love me is more interested in mocking a caricature of a trans person that isn't actually me. But I digress

The point my adhd ass is making here is that I think I understand a bit more about what I've been arguing this entire time. Not that I didn't understand it at all before so much as that I've been given new depth. I have a pain condition, possibly multiple, have my entire life, and I have always been rather fixated on whatever would alleviate that pain. When Tylenol stopped working, I stopped using it. Eventually I found marijuana which has done me WONDERS but I've been dealing with worsening health issues due to various reasons and it's not quite doing enough. I had to be taken off all my meds because of a bad interaction and in the month before we start reintegrating meds that might help, my doctor gave me benadryl

Now, I've been taking benadryl on and off for years for anxiety and insomnia. I can't do it long, some toxicity issue I think? Or organ failure. Can't remember right now. The guideline is a two week limit, and I've found by the end of that two weeks it is very hard for me to get the effect I need without running into the 300mg daily cap. And the times I've taken it before it hasn't done much but make me sleep eventually and relax for a few hours

That has changed. Now when I take my benadryl, I can feel it kick in like God Herself just grabbed me by the scruff of the neck, total limpness, the anxiety isn't GONE but it's so much more manageable. The cessation of pain is so fucking nice, which I understand is a HUGE component of addiction outside of the direct chemical alterations over time becoming unpleasant or downright agonizing to reverse. Being so uncomfortable and having it relieved that quickly is amazing. It doesn't make the problem that is causing me the stress or pain go away, but it does give me clarity of mind that lets me take action to make my life better, for myself and my loved ones

Now here's the kicker for me. I HAVE taken benadryl before, but when I did, my conditions were so unmanaged that it just really did not do THIS much. And at that time, I very much required things that were stronger, for both pain and mental distress. I was given them after some hospitalizations, begrudgingly, and surprise of surprises it helped me. I started to improve. Pretty significantly. Years later, they started making me sick, thus the meds having to be changed now, and honestly I was TERRIFIED because I thought the benadryl wouldn't be enough, like it was before, and I'd spend a month in agony. I was so wrong yall

So here's what I think, in my amateurishly educated opinion: if they had just given me the medicine I was asking for instead of taking my agency away in denying my medication that could have helped but could also have consequences that they felt weren't worth the risk. Maybe they were, maybe there weren't, but... Shouldn't that have been my choice? And I did eventually get put on something stronger, which led to me having the strength and spoons and clarity I needed to make changes over time that have led to me being able to be helped by the benadryl now. They couldn't have just handed me a bottle of percocet at 14 and said "Good luck!" because YES that would have been it's own kind of damaging, but I have trouble with authority, and at least the damage would have been mine to cause. After all, it was my body

But... What they could have done, what research is proving again and again ACTUALLY works more than patriarchal denial of bodily autonomy on the basis of my supposed "inherently and deeply lacking ability to make choices for my own health," is just... Giving me the meds I asked for. Tell me the risks, help me manage the potential consequences, trust me to tell you when I feel sick instead of functional. To not just keep taking more and more of whatever drug that is helping me but you've decided I'm having FUN with, to the point that being denied the care I needed was damaging. If you had trusted me, I would have trusted you, and we could have made a plan that would have probably resulted in what's happened now, me finding that benadryl actually is enough now and crying in sheer joy that I've finally worked hard enough to get this far

But that would have implied that I have an ability and right to make decisions about how to take care of my own body, right?

This isn't a story that hasn't been experienced and shared so many times that it all paints a detailed and disturbing tapestry of how little bodily autonomy matters in this system. Too many demographics are judged as being "at risk for addiction" without the judgement being made by people who care that those demographics are at risk because of so fucking many social and systemic inequalities that leave so fucking many deprived of preventative, proactive care that would ultimately ease the burden of emergency care that has to be given once things get to a point considered "bad enough" and that's just... Not okay.

[ahundredlifetime]

Thoughts lately about Elvis

When I think about Elvis - all the time basically - it's not uncommon for me to feel sad at the end. I feel sorry his life ends the way it ended, I feel sorry he only had a short time on this earth, I feel sorry that he was trapped by his obligations, overworked, and I feel sad that now I know how lonely he was.

I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling this way.

I kept thinking what could've been, should've been. I asked myself, where did it all go wrong? But I can't turn back the time, so instead of making myself depressed thinking about it, I made peace with the reality.

When I read books or watch movies about him, the summary that I get is he didn't have much control in his life and career choices. It's all taken care of by the Colonel. This is the part that makes me sad the most. It might be true to some extent, but after some thoughts, I don't think the Colonel could control that much of Elvis' life, if Elvis himself didn't give permission to it.

These sources do give us facts, historically, of what happened in Elvis's real life in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. But what they didn't explicitly tell us - doesn't mean they should be - is how it would actually feel to be in his position.

Elvis saw Colonel as his business partner. You might not like the Colonel - well I don't - but he brought the money in, millions of it. I think the "declines" in the later years of his life is a "side-effect" that both of them weren't anticipated - overworked, depressed, and his health condition got worsen.

We need to put in context how bad the working conditions was for artists in the those years. Singers became actors in Hollywood was the norm, multiple performances in Las Vegas hotels wasn't uncommon. Even though Elvis's Las Vegas schedule was insane compared to other artists, it was less insane back then. You know what I mean? I think the point what I want to make is, if you are in his shoes, back in the day, all of his life and career choices did make sense.

Like Elvis once sang "Walk a mile in my shoes~".

I don't know why I'm writing this post, I think because I'm upset reading reports about him - especially from the past - that makes Elvis looked like he's "not that bright". I guess people from our era have more respects for him (because he's gone, but his tragedy outshines his music and movie career) than the people from his days who made fun of him and criticise him a lot.

I think people should've gave him more credit for maintaining his long 22 years career in entertainment industry, because he was a mastermind in his own right.

After looking from this point of view, I feel less sad, to be honest. Knowing he did it his way. He might had some regrets, but I bet it'd be a few ("my way" reference)

To prove my points:

Since early in his career, he has already read critics to know what people didn't like about him, so he would know what to improve.

and this

Elvis and Bill Belew collaborated to make his iconic jumpsuits come to live.

and many more other references that says Elvis knew what his fans like, what makes girls crazy about him, and he has done some experiments in his tours to see which songs to get the audience excited.

I think that's all for my rant tonight.

[therhythmafterthesummer]

Bonjour!

Would our werewolves ever suffer from ailments which could affect their shifting? Perhaps being unable to shift into the wolf or not being able to change back? No longer hearing the wolf inside or losing their strength? Stress related or some AU sickness or magic?

How would you think each would handle it?

Sorry for the angst!

-🧁

hallo!!

what an interesting question. my short answer would be that: yes, yes this could potentially exist in this universe. it kinda makes sense to me for wolves to have specific illnesses that a human wouldn't have... things that could affect them not only physically, but also mentally as well!

as for how each would handle being sick... i'll leave some Thoughts under the cut.

Chris: regardless of the ailment, whenever Chris gets sick, he's GONE. he doesn't get sick often, but when he does he just becomes completely useless. can barely take care of himself. if he ever went through periods of not being able to shift it'll take him LONG time to recover. which, if it happens to be that he can't shift from wolf to human, would be very inconvenient. not only because he's got to work to maintain his flat, his house, and his life overall, but also because he wouldn't be able to be with his pretty girl, and that would be what would hurt him the most. on the other hand, if he weren't capable of shifting into his wolf form from his human form, he'd probably feel incredibly frustrated and inadequate bc at the end of the day he's an alpha and his wolf side is part of his pride as a werewolf, if that makes sense.

Minho: manages well enough on his own because he just... grew up taking care of himself. he'll be extra pouty if kitten is close just because he wants attention (she knows he's doing it on purpose, and he knows she knows, you know? lee know). anyway, minho already has trouble figuring out his instincts, so you could kinda say he's pretty much chronically ill on this aspect. unfortunately, this is a thing he carried over from his human self before being turned. he already had a condition, so it makes sense it affects his inner wolf, too.

Changbin: also becomes a bit useless when sick, but to a lesser degree than chris. will still be capable of going through with her day as long as his ailment isn't too serious, and will also heal fairly quickly if he follows doctor's orders religiously, but he'll be super whiny about it the entire time. cranky mood to the max. will snap at people often. not being able to hear his inner wolf or shift from either form would frustrate him, but it wouldn't be crippling.

Hyunjin: this boy is fuelled by spite, and something like being sick won't stop him. fuck everything and everyone, he's gonna keep doing his thing for as long as he can. he's passed out in inconvenient places before because of this mentality lol. heals quickly overall.

Jisung: hardly ever gets sick at all. he's been blessed with amazing health and antibodies. he does, however, tend to suffer from mental related stuff... will try his best not to burden anyone with his problems but will eventually open up to kitten or minho or chris about it.

Felix: hardly ever gets sick as well. his time living in the forest has prepared him for almost anything and made him immune to a lot of things because of it. will be able to push through just fine if he does get sick, though.

Seungmin: will keep any problems to himself. doesn't like it when people worry about him so if he's feeling bad he'll isolate himself until pretty mum figures it out and goes into his flat to pull on his ear. will suffer in silence.... i don't want to add much here because i don't wanna spoil anything i've got planned for seungmin hfdsljkfds

Jeongin: also doesn't like to burden people with his problems, but is definitely more open than seungmin. will also become a little useless when sick, and he'll need a lot of help from his pack mates to get better.

[healthi-pedia]

Sugar Defender: A Game-Changer For Blood Sugar Management

For years, I struggled with maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. The constant energy crashes, afternoon slumps, and sugar cravings were a real drag on my daily life. I tried various methods to manage it – from portion control to exercise – but nothing seemed to offer lasting results. That's when I came across Sugar Defender supplements, and let me tell you, it's been a game-changer.

Natural Ingredients, Big Impact

Sugar Defender is a dietary supplement formulated with a blend of natural ingredients. What initially drew me to the product was its focus on plant-based, non-GMO components. Some of the key ingredients include cinnamon bark extract, chromium, alpha-lipoic acid, and bitter melon extract. These ingredients have been linked to supporting healthy blood sugar metabolism, which is exactly what I was looking for.

Curbing Cravings and Balancing Levels

The first noticeable difference I experienced after taking Sugar Defender was a significant reduction in sugar cravings. Those intense urges for sugary treats that used to plague me throughout the day simply faded away. This, in turn, made portion control much easier. But the real magic happened with my blood sugar levels. The constant fluctuations I used to experience became a thing of the past. Sugar Defender helped me achieve a sense of balance, keeping my energy levels consistent throughout the day.

Improved Energy and Overall Wellbeing

Prior to using Sugar Defender, I often battled afternoon slumps that left me feeling drained and unproductive. However, this supplement has been instrumental in boosting my energy levels. With stable blood sugar, my body is able to convert glucose into energy more efficiently, keeping me going strong all day long. This newfound energy has positively impacted every aspect of my life, from my work performance to my ability to enjoy an active lifestyle.

More Than Just Blood Sugar

While managing blood sugar was my primary concern, I've come to appreciate the additional benefits Sugar Defender offers. The formula includes ingredients with antioxidant properties, which can help protect cells from damage. While I can't definitively say it's because of the supplement, I've also noticed an improvement in my overall sense of well-being since starting to take it.

A Word to the Wise

It's important to remember that Sugar Defender is a supplement, not a miracle cure. It works best when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Also, be sure to consult with your doctor before starting any new supplement, especially if you have any pre-existing health conditions.

However, if you're looking for a natural way to support healthy blood sugar levels and improve your overall well-being, I highly recommend giving Sugar Defender a try. It's been a transformative experience for me, and I believe it can be for you too.

Here you can checkout the product

[ocqueen]

CW detailed discussion of weight loss/gain, chronic health, and disordered eating

Normally I'd post this type of stuff on my journal blog never to be seen again, but hey. I'm feeling bold and weirdly okay about people I know reading this, and it might be insightful for some other people, too.

A long rambling story about weight and physical/mental health, chronic illness, changing bodies, and roads to recovery

I've just hit a really significant physical milestone for me where I can see myself gaining weight. I don't keep a scale (my mom didn't allow them in the house growing up and I never got one for myself), so I don't know if it's backed up by numbers, but it's enough to where I'm actually filling out my bras, developing a stomach and an ass, can't feel my sharp hip bones or ribs jutting out anymore. It's... weird. I finally get people's insecurities about NOT being twiggy thin like I used to be, can feel those thoughts creeping in already even as a still very thin person every time I struggle to get my new butt into my old size 0 pants, but at the same time there's something a bit joyful about being able to see a body that's taking up more space and changing with my age and what that means about my personal health and recovery in general.

I've been stick thin ever since I was a kid, and as I went through college it was very clear that I wasn't going to get a 'freshman fifteen' - and then just about the same time equally as clear that the reason for that was because I was very chronically ill, violently depressed, and stressed out of my mind in a high-pressure program, all of which meant I had a low appetite and lost a lot of weight. The fabled 'freshman fifteen' was actually there, just keeping me at a baseline thin instead of dropping me off a cliff into more dangerously underweight. Even with it, I was starting to have attacks of hypothermia from lack of fat to keep myself warm, and had to start dressing in heavy layers - something my GP originally couldn't explain.

I've struggled since my diagnoses with managing my health, and a lot with gaining - and keeping - weight. I'd go through periods of weight gain as my conditions were in remission or I better managed my stress levels, only to have a health flare or a bout of deadlines and anxieties and lose it all again. I've barely ever managed to hit my goal weight, and when I did it was probably only for about two weeks. I live in constant fear of falling below 100 pounds again now that I finally managed to get myself over it, to the point where I refused to exercise at all and risk accidentally losing more of what little weight I had, despite it being bad for other areas of my health and well being.

I also tend towards disordered eating since I was a teen, especially once I lost the structures of school, and hate having to feed myself - cooking feels like a drudgery and a chore, and eating out was too expensive and wasteful, so I often forgot or forewent it intentionally - something I did more often in school and during my stints working in television. Eating got put to the wayside, in favor of 'productive tasks' and 'saving money' (as if eating to fuel your body wasn't productive enough). I got headaches, shakes, fatigue, all from not eating enough, and it got bad enough that eventually I got an app specifically to track my calories, which revealed how horrible I've been with fueling my body or eating enough to maintain weight. I tried to change, force myself to eat, and for a time it worked, but I always ended up forgetting and falling back onto old habits.

Now, years later, I've adapted. I eat three meals a day because I have a new job with a time structure, I've learned to intentionally eat more calorie-dense foods to make up for eating less, and I snack when I remember to and keep fruit and packaged snacks around that are easy to grab. I've taught myself to be okay eating takeout if I don't have the energy to cook and I exercise doing strength training and yoga to gain muscle without losing weight (though my current job is quite sedentary and I should probably be doing more cardio, haha). Many of my health conditions are getting better with managed treatment, even while others might worsen, and the main culprits for my medical weight loss have slowly been brought to heel and monitored closely. I'm even on a few meds with a side effect of weight gain, which has helped out, too.

And with all of that together... I think we've finally moved past maintenance. I looked in the mirror the other day and I had a real, true stomach, and smooth bumps at my hips instead of jutting bone, and while it caught me off guard I'm slowly coming to enjoy it instead of fear it. My waist isn't so wasp-thin anymore, filled out by fat or muscle, and it's unclear which but I don't care right now. My face is less gaunt, I look less tired (my mom tells me how much better I look), I'm getting fewer unexplained bouts of hypothermia and I know where my late afternoon headaches are from and can make sure they don't happen anymore. It's surreal to me, like I'm a different person, and while it's a lot of work to manageI know that it's healthier this way. My doctors are now worried about me gaining too MUCH weight, but I'm just happy to settle into a new body for a bit - one that might be able to help carry me wherever I need to go, and one I might be able to treat a bit better in the future if I make sure I don't forget it. It's part of my recovery, not only with my physical health, but a sign of moving past and managing my fast-inducing depression and anxiety, too, and that alone is enough to make me happier than I could have thought a little bit of fat could do.

Anyways, recovery looks a lot of different ways for a lot of different people, but this is mine, and it's something I've been thinking about a lot lately as I go through chronic health flares and scares related to other things. It's a small victory for me that I hope can usher in a few larger ones in the future, and pave the way for something more.

[freshgentlementidalwave]

The Relationship Between Eyes And Sleep

Appropriate sleep rests the body and all its eye muscles in turn, so the twitching needs to only be momentary. Even greater on the trouble scale might be popped eye vessels that can happen when a night's rest simply does not come.

There are rarer eye conditions that are linked with sleep loss: among those is Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (AION). Associated with individuals who have sleep apnea, this continued inflammation of the eye vessels might result in vision loss gradually. Those severe conditions are unlikely for a lot of deficient-sleep victims, however do not forget that regularly puffy, dry eyes after nights of tossing and turning can show you require to attend to the circumstance.

Consciousness that there is in fact a problem and taking the issue seriously is a great start. Naturally there are over the counter and prescription medications that can be of terrific advantage for the sleep-deprived, but overuse of those can create dependencies and also lead to a quality of sleep that isn't as rejuvenating as natural sleep.

Eye Health Problems Caused By Lack Of Sleep

The very first signs that your eyes are responding to sleep deprivation can take place after your first extremely brief night. Symptoms can appear any time you get less than 5 hours of sleep, as this is the minimum amount of time your eyes need to replenish after working all the time. You will notice that you have difficulty focusing your eyes, and in many cases, you might have double vision.

Nevertheless, they can be unpleasant for those experiencing the constant unexpected tics. A feeling of dryness in the eyes often follows a night of inadequate sleep. Because the body uses this downtime to repair cells and regulate hormone levels, you might experience lower tear production. This results in irritation, which seems like stinging, burning and/or grittiness.

According to the AOA, an absence of sleep can cause you to develop eye spasms. Our eye motions are controlled by a few of the most active muscles in the body and requiring excessive of them can have effects.

How Lack Of Sleep Impacts Our Eye Health

Bags under the eyes can appear when we maintain too much fluid in the area, and there seems to be a correlation between this and sleepless nights. The AOA suggests getting seven to 9 hours of sleep per night to attempt and stave off dark circles. Our eyes can deal with the periodic all-nighter, however consistently falling short on sleep can have long-term results.

Lots of people with signs of sleep deprivation have problem going to sleep or remaining asleep. This most certainly can tax their eyes and make theirs yes red and dry due to lack of sleep. Eye allergic reactions: Eye allergic reactions might be misdiagnosed as lack of sleep blurry vision, when it might be something else.

Contact lens overwear identified as a lack of sleep eye pain. A lot of my patients oversleep their contact lenses and are unpleasant informing me because they fret that I'll get all "judgey." I will not. Let me inform you a fast story. When I remained in my early 20s, I took a trip all over Europe and used my contacts for 45 or more days without ever taking them out.

Sleep & Your Eyes

That isn't great, but where do our eyes suit the equation? When we get enough sleep, it's terrific for both our overall health and our eye health, and we can likewise enhance our quality of sleep by changing what we put in front of our eyes prior to we go to bed.

With time, the less sleep we get, the most likely we are to experience eye pressure, dry eye, and even eye twitches. Fortunately is that our eyes contribute in getting more and better sleep that will assist them! No matter how tech-savvy we are, we can't alter the biology of our eyes.

You might be shocked what a distinction this will produce your quality of sleep along with your eye health! Numerous kinds of modern-day contact lenses are much more oxygen-permeable than they used to be (implying they enable your eyes to breathe better), however it's still much better for your eyes to take them out overnight than leave them in.

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The Association Between Dry Eye And Sleep Quality

The convulsions happen as a result of your eye not being rested enough| Understood as myokymia, the convulsions take place as an outcome of your eye not being rested enough, and the subsequent straining to focus your vision versus the jerking the next day can make it even worse. Both take place as side impacts when your eyes aren't lubricated enough.

You need to guarantee that your sleeping environment is giving you the best possibility of good quality sleep. This consists of aspects such as lighting, noise levels and temperature level.

People are all different when it concerns sound levels; some like total silence, while other people prefer some background sound to help them wander off. In regards to temperature, many people sleep best when the room is between 18-20 degrees Celsius, and getting this ideal guarantees that you're not awakening either shivering or sweating in the early hours.

How Lack Of Sleep Affects The Eyes

The blue light discharged by digital screens causes our brains to respond in the exact same method they would if they saw sunlight. Essentially, our brains are tricked into believing that it's daytime, and therefore do not release the chemicals we require in order to feel drowsy. Preventing screens for an hour prior to bedtime and dimming the lights around your house during this time period ought to help you feel sleepier.

Everyday life can make this difficult, with various commitments on various days, however people are creatures of habit. Side results While it is simple to presume that the only side results on your eyes from absence of sleep are cosmetic issues, there are some more severe problems to look out for. Sleep deprivation might affect your appearance in a couple of ways.

Dry Eye Linked To Poor Sleep Quality

Sleep deprivation is not the only cause for dark circles, numerous other things contribute to the problem, but getting rid of sleep deprivation can impact the total appearance of your under-eye circles. Eye convulsions are another side result associated with absence of sleep.

Dry, scratchy and bloodshot eyes can likewise be a side impact of sleep deprivation and can cause pain and inflammation. If your eyes are inflamed and scratchy, you might be likely to rub them, leaving you more susceptible to eye infections.

Instead of grabbing a set of huge sunglasses to cover your under-eye circles, attempt to combat your sleep deprivation in a much healthier method: getting more sleep in the evening. Concealer, sunglasses and eye drops might assist for the time being, however they don't supply an enduring result for your total health.

A Good Night's Sleep Is Best For Your Eye Health

Try to go to sleep and get up at the very same time every day to create a schedule that your body is utilized to. Examine the environment in your bedroom. It is suggested to keep your space dark, cool and quiet, with light-blocking curtains and a white sound device or fan.

If you're experiencing eye irritation, redness or swelling, without delay make a visit with your eye medical professional.

It should be kept in mind that eye issues can also deny you of sleep throughout the night. Conditions such as cataracts impact the amount of light that reaches your eyes, consequently modifying sleep patterns.

The Relationship Between Eyes And Sleep

If the condition is not managed early, it can have permanent damage, where it might cause loss of sight. Stopping working to sleep for adequate hours can contribute to increased pressure in the eye. This is since the eyes do not get sufficient time to rehydrate and recover. This can cause straining of the eyes, which in turn triggers glaucoma.

|

How Sleep Can Affect Your Vision

Dry eyes can also have other side effects that are a risk to the health of your eyes. Eye spasms are another common problem caused by inadequate sleep.

It can likewise be a distraction because it makes it difficult to focus throughout the day. The condition is usually momentary, so you do not need to worry about the possibility of long-term damage. This does not recommend that you must not get sufficient sleep. Sleeping for a minimum of five hours permits all the muscles in your body to relax, which then assists you avoid the twitching of the eyes.

Your Eyes And Sleep Deprivation

It is not a visual fallacy when things get blurry after a night or numerous nights with little sleep. You may believe that you are picturing those amusing things. In reality, being snappy and out of sorts is just among the outcomes that inadequate sleep patterns can give you.

Sleep can be problematic for your eyes along with your appearance, with such proof as red bloodshot eyes and dark circles. According to the Center for Illness Control, the CDC, many workers in the United States are now having less than 6 hours of sleep a night.

Does Sleep Deprivation Lead To Problems With Eyesight?

Absence of sleep reduces oxygen that is available for the eyes; this triggers capillary to dilate and offer the look of being red or bloodshot. Dark circles and bags under the eye are another result of absence of sleep. Retention of fluid around the eyes causes the under-eye location to appear puffy.

Sleep-deprived individuals may be grouchy and seem rather off. They may likewise encounter a fuzzy feeling. Learning what's triggering your lack of sleep and doing something to fix it is the finest action that you can require to feel much better and prevent eye issues such as those described here.

A Good Night's Sleep Is Best For Your Eye Health

In today's fast paced and stressful world it is very common to lose out on getting enough restful sleep each night. The challenge of balancing appropriate rest with whatever else that requires to get carried out in a day can be very difficult.|The obstacle of balancing correct rest with everything else that needs to get done in a day can be very tricky.

How Sleep Affects Eye Health

Have you ever had among those mystical twitches in your eye that simply won't disappear? Those eye twitches happen when you have an uncontrolled spasm in your eyelid. These uncontrolled spasms are known as myokymia. While eye convulsions are not painful and actually do not harm your vision, they can be very irritating and disruptive.

Do your best to go to bed and wake up at the very same time each day, even on the weekends. Having a regular schedule will assist your body control your sleep and your energy levels. Even a tiny bit of light can interfere with your sleep.

If you live somewhere with a lot of outside noise, sleep with a fan or another source of white sound in your bed room. This can assist you get to sleep and decrease interruptions so you stay asleep. Keep your space cool. In many cases, people sleep much better if the temperature level is between 65- and 68-degrees Fahrenheit.

[raineruxpin]

Somewhere, I just stopped engaging it. I purposely set boundaries around it and this made her turn on me. This happened a long time ago, but the result is we finally agreed it was over, and she took herself away. She also took things and lied, then placed the blame on me when I called her out and refused to engage in her narcissism. Then she made herself invisible to me for who knows what end. Finally, she then entered my place after she'd moved out, and stole an expensive custom and personally sentimental pair of shoes. I saved up for a long time to get those, so she knew it would hurt me, because I'd be made out as the unstable one for trying to do anything about it. She'd use my mental health as a pawn in her quest to punish me for letting her steal something that I worked hard for and was saving for a special occasion, because it meant she couldn't center herself in my joy anymore. Now, months later, I've moved into a cheaper place, but alone, so am barely making ends meet and will be paying off the debt on this long enough to hopefully have room to find an even cheaper place after this place raises its rent next year and max out my shit, yet again. In this time all of my family has deserted me or gaslit me into being threatened by my father with gun violence. He's literally a Nazi, and my brother and all his kids are too, and since they present a danger to girls like me, I cannot have them in my life. This means I can't have those that condone them being Nazis in my life either, which means even my mother, the only person who has shown me any respect this whole fucking time, I have to consider dead now because she won't even stand up for me. My son hates me because his mom and stepmother have spent his entire life keeping him away from me and denigrating me, also using my mental health as a pawn to justify this rift that feels insurmountable. I didn't ask for this. I'm just trying to live and learn and understand my condition better. I hope I never need meds because I don't ever want to be like that. All the joy and life removed from a person's essence. It's horrifying. I'm the tragic trans schizoid with ptsd and absolutely no sense of subtlety. Fat, old and abandoned, barely making ends meet. I won't be missed when I'm gone. They'll make jokes about me. Call me it. Deny my humanity. Then forget I was ever here. Just like all the people who said I was their friend over the years and disappeared once they got finally decided to actually get to know me. I'm so empty inside from everything I've lost from these countless vultures that have picked my bones clean for their amusement. I welcome the peace that comes after my circle has been completed. I also know there is still more pain to come for me. My existence reminds people that the world isn't the lie they believe it is. The lie makes them feel comfort, and some will even kill to maintain the comfort of the lie, than to be uncomfortable and be accountable to the truth. I don't have the privilege to live in that world because my truth makes me an outsider to it by default. Maybe one day those whove othered me will understand how much I've been shit on for no reason, how much danger and constant dehumanization that I constantly face, and maybe even feel bad for how they've treated me. I'm pretty certain I won't be around to see it. I'd love to be proven wrong about my family and so-called friends one day, but hope is for fools, and I don't have the patience to suffer them.

[immortalonus]

Dani/Ellie Phantom and Swyer's Syndrome

This is probably stupid, but it's been cluttering up my brain ever since I first remembered the condition existed, so I figured I might as well post it here.

So all those clones Vlad makes in kindred spirits: I'm almost certain you could roughly match each clone's appearance to real life genetic disorders (Which has lead "terminal bone disorder-fetus" to add another tick on my secret FBI watchlist, so thanks for that.) Some on a more one-to-one real life scale than others.

I may put some more research into the other clones sometime or other, but at the moment, lets focus on Ellie.

Ellie Phantom! One of only three halfas in the show, and, somehow, a female clone of a male gene donor.

Since Danny Phantom has managed to maintain a pretty robust fanbase since it ended in ~07 or so, there are already a bunch of good answers as to how a male teenager's genes could somehow lead to the creation of a 12 year old girl, one of the most popular being that Danny is, in fact, transgender, which would cause any genetic clone of his to pop out with an XX female phenotype by default.

Supposing that Danny is in fact an XY male, however, there are still a couple of options out there that could explain how his genetic code could be used to create a female variant of himself.

Because that's the thing, you know genes? Genes are strange, and when you add irresponsible mad scientists operating outside their specialty on top of ghost powers, things get even stranger.

And for the record, a lot of this is going to lean heavily on the idea that Vlad *is* operating outside his specialty here. Dude's an ectobiologist at best and a jack-of-all-trades ectoscientist at worst. Any understanding of how living (or half-living) things work is way outside his wheel house. Honestly, the man would be lucky if debilitating genetic anomalies were the only thing wrong with these kids.

Back on topic, Swyer's syndrome is interesting because its a disorder associated with the Y chromosome which leads to a near perfect female phenotype in the effected individual. Put simply, someone with Swyer's syndrome would present as physically female, despite being genetically male, a really stark example of how genotype (the information coded in your genes) doesn't always match phenotype (your physical makeup/how those genes present.)

While Swyer's syndrome doesn't seem to have one absolutely certain cause, what usually seems to happen is that early on in a fetus's development, the Y-chromosome does a whoopsie and fails to deliver its make-a-dude manual (*usually* the SRY gene) the way it's supposed to, so the body, lacking any instructions to the otherwise, just kind of defaults to a girl instead.

Physically, a person with Swyer's syndrome would be born with non-ambiguous genitalia, normal Fallopian tubes, and even a functioning womb (so long as an egg is donated from elsewhere). So far as I know, the only problem is that someone with this condition would have is that they don't have proper ovaries. instead, they just have "streak gonads", basically the reproductive equivalent of a confused shrug where you would normally expect the girl bits to go.

Those streak gonads are the primary way most individuals with Swyer's syndrome are normally found, as these things can't do stuff like "menstruate" or "puberty" the way actual ovaries would on their own. Completing a full female puberty and achieving menses requires administration of external hormones instead.

Streak gonads are also super cancerous, BTW. We're talking tumor-licious funtime levels of cancer here, which gives Swyer syndrome's otherwise subtle presentation something of a downside. Surgically removing those streak gonads is usually strongly recommended for long term health.

Interestingly, the lack of normal ovaries (and the puberty they play a part in,) has the potential to explain another oddity between Ellie and Danny: Namely, their apparent age gap.

While it's very possible Ellie's just younger than Danny because Vlad didn't have enough of his EZ-bake growth serum or whatever for her tube, what if she actually was 15 or even 16 years old, but doesn't really look it? What if she had something, such as the streak gonads associated with Swyer's syndrome, actively obstructing her ability to mature?

Ellie was lab grown, so the length of time she's been alive doesn't match her stage of growth, anyway. She'd have no way to tell for herself, and once Vlad realized he had another imperfect clone on his hands, I doubt he cared enough to bother with something as fiddly and time consuming as getting a proper measurement of her age. I can easily see him telling her "ur twelve," based off a quick glance at her looks and calling it a day.

So yeah, those are my thoughts on "What if Ellie had Swyer's syndrome." It's kind of a cool headcannon, though I have no idea how I'd implement it in practice. It was fun to research, I guess.

[psychoticallytrans]

Hi, I’m sorry if I’m bothering you. I was wondering if you had any advice with just…getting through the days with disabling conditions? I won’t be too specific because I don’t want this message to be too long, but I’m a minor (I’m sorry if you don’t like interacting with minors, I’m not sure what your stance on it is.) and I don’t have any access to treatment or help for my condition where I live. The condition gets worse over time. I also don’t have access to a mental hospital or anything like that. I’m sorry if this message is out of line.

Briefly coming out of my break for this, because I consider this ask very important.

I'm completely okay with minors sending me asks. DMs not so much, but you do need some people to talk to and ask questions of when it comes to disability, especially when you don't have a lot of local support, and it sounds like you don't.

I can't give very specific advice with this information, but I'll give you what I can.

Find information from other people with your condition. Support groups, forums, subreddits, anywhere where people with your condition gather. Other disabled people will have had to deal with the same problems you have, and they will have information that will help you.

Be alert and aware of the symptoms you experience, and document them if you can. Even if you never gain access to treatment, you will then know what you are experiencing and how often, which will help you develop a coping plan. This will also help you keep an eye on your degenerative condition, and let you know if you're developing symptoms that need immediate attention.

Do try to maintain general health behaviors if you can. Going outside, talking to friends, drinking water, and so on. If some health behaviors are off limits to you, focus on what you can do, and don't force any ones that hurt more than they help. If your condition makes it so that you can no longer perform a health behavior, then that's okay.

This is a hard one if your condition affects your memory and planning, but you have to learn to plan in advance for the possibility of bad days. You can't just go "I can't have a bad day this day because I can't afford to." That kind of stress will make a bad day more likely. You have to make sure to avoid in advance triggers for your condition, support your own health, and even then, still have a backup plan for if that day turns out to be a bad day.

If you have a bad day, you do need to figure out how to explain it to people, but you don't have to give them the whole explanation. "Sorry, I missed the bus." does not have to be followed with "because I have insomnia and my pills aren't working." "I was unable to finish this part of the project." does not have to be followed with "because I was in agony with joint pains." Only give as much information as is needed, or as you are comfortable with.

Forgive yourself for making mistakes. If you do something that triggers a bad day, that's not something to feel guilty about. Take a note of it and move forward. If you do something that's not great for your overall health, that's not a morally bad thing, and you can move forward without agonizing over it.

Lean on others when you can. Not even just when you absolutely need it. Welcoming help day to day when it comes around helps to lower your overall stress load, which will free up energy.

I find myself devolving into general life advice, so I should probably stop here. If you have any more questions, including clarifying ones for this advice, please don't hesitate to reach out. I want you to thrive.

[fatphobiabusters]

So this might be a silly question and I'm sorry in advance. But, I heard reading nutrition labels is a sign of "disordered eating" because they force you to reevaluate your choices based on the calories/fat/etc (I'm paraphrasing). Is it bad to look at food labels to see other things? I try to make sure what I eat (packaged food wise) has at least a few grams of fiber because I have digestive problems and, well, metamucil is just really gross. I look at the sugar to see how much is added because I have a strong family history of diabetes (although, I feel like i read somewhere that sugar intake doesn't have anything to do with diabetes, but I could be wrong). And in the case of "fortified" food, like cereal, I look to see how much Vitamin D is in them because I need to get as much of that as possible. Would this still be viewed as "disordered eating"? I'm not reconsidering my choices based on calories, but on different nutritional parameters. Kind of like I have to read the ingredients to make sure there's no sesame because I am allergic (RIP sesame chicken, you will be missed).

Should I even bother, or should I select foods I want/like instead of basing my choice on other nutritional value? One example is applesauce. I buy a high-fiber strawberry applesauce that is OK (and more expensive) instead of the generic strawberry applesauce that is cheaper and tastier. Is looking at other nutritional facts aside from the "big ones" (fats/carbs/calories) still considered "disordered" because it still artificially separates foods into healthy/unhealthy categories based on some made-up parameters, or is it more just me looking out for specific dietary needs that I have trouble maintaining?

Personally I look for foods with iron! I'm anemic. This is a situation where nutrition labels can be really helpful for people who have special dietary needs and is 100% okay.

Calories don't help people make "good" decisions 99.9999% of the time (when you are feeding someone whose been starving you def want to count calories then, for instance which is why its not 100% of the time).

The information wasn't decided on by neutral thinking, calories being so dominant on labels shows that. But we as consumers can check how we use this info. Our reasons and motivations. You're doing fine!

I believe based on my mom and her diabetes/pre diabetes it's carbs she has to count. Sugar can certainly spike your blood sugar but the long term health seems to be carbs!

More info here: https://www.diabetes.org/healthy-living/recipes-nutrition/understanding-carbs

"There are three main types of carbohydrates in food—starches, sugar and fiber. As you’ll see on the nutrition labels for the food you buy, the term “total carbohydrate” refers to all three of these types." (But don't fear fiber is important, they acknowledge that.)

You said it runs in your family and the only advice I can give is to see what the latest research says. Family who get educated on something don't necessarily keep up with what's new and especially if they are going at it alone (they can't regularly see a doctor or afford blood testing machines/strips for example) they often find what works and that's it.

Diabetes doesn't run in my family btw that's just something I've noticed about a lot of people with chronic conditions.

Slight aside: if your gallbladder starts acting up get rid of it because it can mess up your pancreas and thats my current theory on why my mom is diabetic now. Her gallbladder caused pancreantitus twice. She couldn't afford to get her gallbladder removed the first time and it happened again. Very severly so.

Anyway back to the point at hand. I'm a follower of "food is medicine" thinking, well when the thinking is positive. (Apparently some people use that term in weird ways.)

If you've got a condition that isn't being blamed on weight/race/gender and is showing up on tests, you can definitely use those labels to make informed health choices. It's technically disordered but it's not in a way that follows a negative relationship with food/eating. In situations like yours it's part of a medical treatment and self care in the most literal sense. These are tools you can use.

You can have non beneficial food in moderation, of course. When you deny yourself everything tempting is when that slippery slope starts. If you'd rather have the cheaper taster applesauce then I'd personally try to add that fiber back in another meal. For people with medical needs it can feel like a fine line but it's really just trying to thrive.

Disclaimer here: part of bodily autonomy is that you can choose not to do anything at all, your body is yours alone. I know a friend of my mom who refused to amputate her leg and while my mom would want more time with her friend it's ultimately that friends choice to risk infections and a shorter life. No matter what you choose to do with an aspect of your health you deserve respect.

Sorry of this is a bit scattered but tldr you are doing great and you're coming from a place of trying to give your body what it needs not denying it things arbitrarily.

[mwolf0epsilon]

🌷🌻🌱🌲🌾☀️🌟🌈🍃 for all of your boys in armour. I find every original clone trooper to be really fascinating, don't you?

Oh boy Anon, this is a tall order you're giving me... But alright, here we go. Hope my boys are interesting enough for ya!

🌷- How does this oc take their coffee?

Bully takes his caf black. He doesn't like sweet things in general, because they cause him to feel nauseous.

Jawbreaker on the other hand, needs to have at least five sugars in his caf, otherwise he can't stomach the bitterness.

Pox cannot stomach caf at all because of his medical condition, so he sticks to tea. His preference is camomile with two sugars.

Lichtenberg doesn't like caf. He's more of a carbonated drinks kind of fella, and will easily become your best friend if you provide him with that sweet sweet carbonation in a can.

Pretty Boy can only drink caf if he has cream, sugar and other flavouring. If he can't turn it into an elaborate latte, what's the point?

Olly chugs espresso like a college student on finals week. It's a problem. Please someone stage an intervention.

🌻- What's this oc's mental health state?

Bully and Jawbreaker weren't doing great. They were severely traumatised due to briefly working under Krell, and needed a lot of support.

Pox is lowkey depressed because of his situation and is only still doing ok because he's a stubborn guy. Having company that isn't repulsed by his condition also helps keep his mental state stable enough that he's capable of being a functional adult.

Umbara and being a POW really messed up Lich's mental state, but his focus on protecting his brothers provides enough of a distraction that he's capable of maintaining a somewhat level head. He does have very bad days, however, and is on mandatory watch.

Pretty Boy is thriving. He's been the luckiest out of his three surviving batchmates, so he's suffered the least emotional damage. He does have bouts of survivor's guilt however, and that often gets him in pretty difficult moods.

Olly was a Coruscant Guard Riot Trooper. Obviously, his mental state is beyond appalling, and the only reason he hasn't cracked yet is because his batchmates and fellow Guardsmen actually give a crap about his existence, and keep him grounded.

🌱- Does this oc have any pets? Do they have any pets they want?

Bully never saw the point of keeping a pet.

Jawbreaker would have liked to have had a pet Tooka, mostly because he thought they were very cute.

Pox had a Ysalamiri that he rescued from a trap. It was wounded and severely malnourished, so it didn't live long, but he cherished the poor critter for as long as he was able to make it's last days comfortable. He misses it sometimes.

Lich has a fascination for snakes, and wouldn't have minded getting one as a pet. He just never really found the time to make that a reality.

Pretty Boy would have only gotten a pet if it was something exotic and flashy. But since he prefers to be the centre of attentions, it's very likely he would have foregone the idea completely and just gotten himself something to wear.

Olly has a fondness for massifs. Anoobas are also close second, and he definitely would have picked out anything loyal and trainable.

🌲- What is this oc's greatest strength and weakness?

As Arc Troopers, Bully and Jawbreaker's strength is definitely their adaptability and independent thinking. Bully is also incredibly loyal, and Jawbreaker is very nurturing. Both of them have trust issues, however, and are incredibly fearful of the Jedi.

Pox's strength is his stubbornness and desire to help others. As a field medic, it's his job to care for his friends and allies and he's damn good at it. Unfortunately his self-disgust and self-doubt often make him second-guess himself, which leads to him making bad calls on occasion.

Lich is a 501st trooper. His style is a bit unorthodox at times but it gets him out of complicated situations. He would have made for a pretty good arc trooper if he'd ever gotten the chance. His weakness is a very obvious one, as seen by the permanent scarring all over his body. He acts before thinking at times, and that gets him into twice as much trouble as he can get himself out of.

Pretty boy's strength is his confidence. He does things like he knows they'll always 100% succeed, and that often works out in his favour. Unfortunately, his greatest weakness is also his over-confidence...

Olly's endurance and stoic behaviour makes him incredibly resilient to most things. His disregard for his own safety, however, is borderline suicidal at times... Olly just doesn't care about what happens to himself, and that has landed him in medical far too many times for his brothers to be comfortable.

🌾- How does this oc get along with people they just met?

Bully doesn't trust easy and is often incredibly aggressive with people he's just met.

Jawbreaker is friendlier, but also doesn't trust easily. He especially has trouble maintaining eye contact.

Pox would prefer to keep people at arm's length. Not because he doesn't like making new friends, but because he's carrying a very virulent strain of pox that has gotten a lot of people killed. He'd rather be lonely than hurt others by accident.

Lich has that sort of friendly attitude that you can't resist. He's the sort of guy to offer you a drink at 79's and chat the night away if given the chance. He's definitely the extrovert of his batch.

Pretty Boy, like Lich, is very outwardly friendly. His self-centred and obnoxious over-confident attitude tends to piss people off though... He doesn't really know how to not make everything about him.

Olly would rather hole up in his bunk and watch some Holofilms than go out to meet new people. He's pretty introverted and happy being by himself for long periods of time.

☀️- Does this oc make good or bad first impressions?

Bully's first interactions with new people are often a shouting match or a straight up punch, so he's always making bad first impressions.

Jawbreaker varies, because oftentimes Bully is right there with him and souring the first impression...

Pox's unkempt appearance, reluctance to make connections, and his often overpowering body odour don't make for a very good impression... A shame considering he's a sweetheart.

Lich always makes a good first impression.

Pretty Boy always ruins his first impression.

Olly's status as a riot trooper slates him for perpetual bad impressions.

🌟- Is this oc good at expressing themself through words or do they have to use other means?

Bully isn't much of a talker. Prefers to act to express himself.

Jawbreaker is the opposite. He hesitates to express himself through actions, and has an easier time talking.

Pox's condition has rendered him mute, so in his case it's a mix of both due to his reliance on Sign Language.

Lich expresses himself entirely through a combination of words and body language. He's the sort of guy who just can't sit still in a conversation. Uses his hands a lot, taps his feet and whatnot.

Pretty Boy, like Lich, cannot sit still while talking. His words are a little more flowery, however, and he's an absolute flirt. He lives up to his name in most social interactions.

Olly has a hard time expressing himself overall. Between the extended awkward periods of silence and his stiff body language, one could assume he's practicing to be a gargoyle decorating a cathedral...

🌈- What does this oc like and dislike about themselves?

Bully likes the look of the black eye he's maintained from constantly picking fights. He thinks it makes him look more intimidating to others. On the other side of the coin, he dislikes that he shares a face with millions of others, and is lowkey jealous that Jawbreaker's face is so distinct.

Jawbreaker likes how soft his hair feels after he gets it cut. He absolutely hates his disfigured face, and hides it under a face-cloth whenever he's out in public without his bucket on.

Pox really likes his afro and beard combo, but the sight of his multiple scars from scratching the blisters and pustules he got from when he was infected with the mystery strain of pox he carries, makes him a little sick to his stomach.

Lich has a love-hate sorta deal with the Lichtenberg figures that cover him from head to toe. They're his namesake, so it's kind of a prideful thing, but also shameful since the incident that caused the scarring was idiotic on his part.

Pretty Boy likes his good looks, and often brags that he's the hottest clone that's ever been decanted. He dislikes that everyone believes that he's only a pretty face and nothing else.

Olly can't help but enjoy having a ridiculously long name. It fills him with a sort of sweet satisfaction that most people have to shorten it to their convenience, while his Guardsmen brothers and batchmates call him by his full name without hesitation. He dislikes the scarring on his face, since he got them in a moment of vulnerability.

🍃- Describe this oc in one word

Bully is resentful.

Jawbreaker is shy.

Pox is nurturing.

Lich is a dreamer.

Pretty Boy is cocky.

Olly is a protector.