i am unable to can

i post about disability here, i'm 20, my pronouns are whatever

[zylahbee]

sexism in medicine kills people. racism in medicine kills people. fatphobia in medicine kills people. queerphobia in medicine kills people. classism in medicine kills people. ableism in medicine kills people.

do not downplay people’s fears about being mistreated because they are a part of a marginalised group. it is a matter of life and death and you should be angry about it.

[pyrus-salicifolia]

“Normal” test results are not the relief people think they are. When you wake up in pain and continue to be in pain for hours every day and your tests come back normal you don’t stop being in pain.

[chronicillnesshumor-deactivated]

[morethanthediagnosis]

I came across this article in the wall street journal and thought it might be helpful for some of my fellow spoonies

[catgirl-kaiju]

This post really hits home for me just how many of the things old people do is just disability accommodation

[identitty-dickruption]

choosing to allocate spoons to hanging out and having a good time at the cost of perfectly completing all your work is not a failing it is in fact an act of survival. “too sick to work = too sick to play” is in fact ableist bullshit that you don’t have to buy into. and the fact that leisure time is treated like a privilege is a fucking travesty

[kingpretty]

Me n who

[autumngracy]

This could be us but the US government won't let disabled people marry each other without losing their disability benefits 💕

[bebsi-cola]

i think people don't know how to differentiate between hard access issues and soft access issues, or don't want to. a lot of access issues aren't clearly one or the other but having no ramps is a hard access issue for obligate wheelchair users. you've gotta stop comparing every accessibility issue to ramps.

because when you compare a soft access issue (an issue which makes accessing somewhere or something painful, difficult, insulting, frustrating, etc) with a hard access issue (an issue which makes accessing somewhere or something impossible) then you inadvertently imply that the persons who experience those hard access issues don't also experience soft access issues.

like say you have a disabled student in a wheelchair. education is famously inaccessible, so everyone says "not providing this is like not providing a ramp." but it's not, firstly because they don't even provide ramps much of the time. like they straight up aren't doing that and you're acting like it's this horrible impossibility that we should understand is super bad so you can compare your own thing to it. which is just incorrect when they're not doing it.

but let's say there's a ramp. so there's a ramp but it's a 5 minute detour to get to so the wheelchair user is always late. the desks are too high to see past, the lecture hall has automated doors but no dedicated wheelchair space so they have to sit off side. can they see properly? does someone catch them up with the missed introduction? where will they take notes?

and the accessible route can be even longer than a 5 minute detour. the route might be round back, next to all the trash/rubbish. that's not dignified but it's also not sanitary either, which is dangerous to disabled people. is it round back where everyone smokes? i sure hope that wheelchair user has no respiratory issues. are they getting penalised for being late all the time? will that affect their attendance? what if they're an international student on a visa and need high attendance to stay in the country? there's a million soft access issues that are present even if the bare minimum of basic access (can i get inside) is met. but yeah there's a ramp. so whatever i guess

[chronic-chondrocladia]

oW OW OW FUCKIN. EOUEUGH OUCH. LEGS

[bee-fox]

I think that it's really important for people to realize that being disabled is traumatic. genuinely. your body and brain feel like they are breaking down and wrong. you are in constant heavy stress from stuff like chronic pain. most disabled people i know have a somewhat regular emotional break down from the trauma of it all. and we are expected to just smile through it by society, to not be in the way, to not be an issue.

[fibromyalgicaf]

I'm not the only one having semi-regular breakdowns?!

Glad to know I'm not alone but also sad to know I'm not alone.

[wehavemadchemistry]

A reminder that I needed last year, so I want to share with folks:

You can do everything “right”, everything you’re told to do, and still have a breakdown sometimes.

You can have the money for doctors, physical therapy, and mental therapy. You can lean on your friends and family. Invest in accessible clothes, home upgrades, and mobility devices. Maintain a social life and hobbies. Etc

All of that is awesome! I hope you can do it! It will reduce the breakdowns. But sometimes, you’ll still have one. Because that is a normal response to the stress of constant pain!

I’m not saying this to discourage you. I just want us to have mercy on ourselves. Especially if the people around us don’t get it. It’s important to work through the horrible moments while we find our way back to the good ones ❤️

[smoov-criminal]

also worth noting that the experience of going through medical testing/treatment is also often traumatic. even if all your doctors are kind and attentive and listen to you, getting test after test with no answers, hospital stays, trying tons of different meds and treatments, all of that can be incredibly traumatizing, especially if your doctors *aren't* kind and attentive and don't listen to you, which is unfortunately very very common. being told it's all in your head, or to lose weight, or refusing to test you, those are all traumatic experiences.

all of that on top of existing in a disabled body is a lot, so please be nice to yourself if you're having breakdowns or dealing with the traumatic effects of being disabled

[im-traumatised]

Living with chronic pain.

[bebsi-cola]

if you talk to other disabled people and listen and hear some of the shit we go through i think you'll find that on the whole disabled people are not nearly angry enough

[butch-marauders]

Can everybody who uses the argument “well you wouldn’t tell a physically disabled person to just try harder so don’t say it to neurodivergent people!” just shut the fuck up?

Physically disabled ppl hear that shit a fucking lot. Don’t fucking speak on topics/experiences you don’t know shit about

[grace-is-tired]

It’s absolutely wild to me that I used to do karate. Ten year old me was sparring and jumping and kicking things.

Now I’m disabled and I can barely crawl out of bed because of pain. Funny and sad how life works like that.

[griddleharkbrainrot]

Oh no I'm just a weak defenseless cripple ---*whacks you with my cane*--- *dramatic reveal of all the others I have tricked this way*

[justanotherchangeling]

Remember even ableists deserve a HUG

HIT them with your mobility aids and medical devices

USE your mobility aids and medical devices to beat them

GIVE them injuries with your mobility aids and medical devices

[cripinpain]

save me omeprazole

omeprazole please

omeprazole save me

[chronic-chondrocladia]

hey does anyone know what i should be putting in my notes for a neurologist appointment?

idk if the referral's been accepted/if i'll get an appointment but it's for involuntary movements/what might be spasms in my back and legs, idk what to call them and the doctor who sent the referral didn't either so yeah

point is hi i am the way that i am and i need to be prepared for the appointment so i don't forget to mention something and i want to know if there's anything important that i might not have thought of immediately

[eggsaladstain]

man turned 26, got kicked off his parents' health insurance, experienced firsthand how the healthcare industry works, and said absolutely not and took direct fucking action

luigi mangione they could never make me hate you

wishing you a speedy jury nullification and acquittal, king