That Disabled Guy

Castiel. Adhd, autism, seizures, hypermobility. He/him. Fiadh - service dog in training - GSD - 09/05/2020. Nico - washed service dog - labradoodle - 10/26/2017

[sadautisticzebra]

A master list of resources on autistic issues by an autistic adult.

https://autistic-edu.carrd.co/

Autistic Education and Resources by an Autistic Adult

A list of resources compiled by an autistic adults about how one can support autistic people written by autistic people.

[stonebutchcowboy]

Listen pal, the subtitles stay ON.

[sadautisticzebra]

It's HS season again and I hate it here

[sadautisticzebra]

I just know my parents think I'm joking when I say I'm in pain all the time unless I'm sleeping and that I also don't notice my baseline levels of pain unless I think about it because I'm so used to it

[sillystringedrat]

TW!! Eye straining color!!

Happy disability pride mouuaaaAAAGHAAAGHHHAAAARRGHHAAAAAHHGG

[ecto-slug]

The day I find the bastard that hexed me with chronic knee pain, is the day I unleash every forbidden spell in my tome

[therooftopgardensystem]

For anyone who doesn't use a mobility aid, my cane is a part of my body. It is an extension of myself. No, you cannot borrow it. No, I don't owe you an explanation. Yes, I need it. I am disabled and I am human. These things coexist 100% of the time. My cane is an extension of my body, and kicking it, telling me to put it away, making me do tasks that I'm unable to do one handed are all examples of ableism. Disabled people do not owe you an explanation of why they use mobility aids. My cane is a part of me.

[sadautisticzebra]

It's for sure going to rain tomorrow I can feel my tendons tightening and my right forearm is killing me

[sadautisticzebra]

I think the newest thing of cheese I like had cross contamination at the deli because this is the second sandwich I made with this bag that left me feeling extra thirsty and possibly a tingly tongue but I can't tell if it's my anxiety about it being a reaction causing it

[sadautisticzebra]

Had to go to the er again but all is well now. Hopefully my parents are starting to understand why I keep stressing I need an allergen alert dog (I am training Fiadh but she's mostly at home)

[sadautisticzebra]

I think the newest thing of cheese I like had cross contamination at the deli because this is the second sandwich I made with this bag that left me feeling extra thirsty and possibly a tingly tongue but I can't tell if it's my anxiety about it being a reaction causing it

[thebrittanybrigade]

Happy 14th birthday to the bestest old man ever!!

[sadautisticzebra]

Birthday boy!

[transarsonist]

You pull the lever every day, nothing appears to happen but over the next five years 300 people who would have gotten sick do not. 20 of them would have died, and so they do not.

There is a lot of science online informing you that this is what the lever does, but when you pull the lever everyone looks at you like you're paranoid when you pull it

[alexischloe]

[wrenchesabound]

I think if you have hypermobile joints, you should be allowed to install joint locking mechanisms on the worst offenders of overnight subluxing that prevent them from accessing their full range of motion.

But A, you say, isn’t that what braces are for?

Technically, yes, but trying to sleep in more than 2 braces, esp on big joints, sucks. 0/10. I yearn to sleep like a velociraptor and not wake up with several joints out of place 😐

[sadautisticzebra]

I'll sign that petition

[spenjelly]

Joint pain tips from someone “too young to have chronic pain”:

[I’m not a doc or a medical professional, take with a grain of salt]

- NSAIDs like ibuprofen/aleve are hard on the stomach and liver. If u take it consistently, consider lidocaine pain patches, tiger balm, or topical NSAIDs. (Still bad for liver with consistent use, but not on the stomach obv)

-foam rollers are real nice for thigh or back/neck pain. If you need it for shoulder stretching, make sure to get one long enough to lay ur whole spine and head on.

-rly good shoe inserts are stupid expensive but getting properly sized for one at a place like REI can rly save you a lot of foot, ankle, and knee pain.

-speaking of shoes plz find ones that have enough room for the tootsies. We’re talking abt bone health here.

-you can use KT or other athletic tape to give minor support, compression for medium, and splints/braces for more serious support. Don’t let braces take over keeping ur body in shape tho.

-in my experience, tube/sock-like braces stay in place the best. I’ve tried the kind that Velcro and they slipped constantly.

-if u overwork a tendon, muscle, or joint, it can take a lot longer for it to heal then when it just stops hurting. Be careful to reintegrate activities slowly after an injury.

-while it kinda makes ya feel silly, walking “like a robot” can help hypermobile/ligament laxity folks to keep proper motion in mind

-upside down criss-cross and w-sitting are horrendous for your knees and make your PTs sad

-if you are doing arm exercises, try not to extend your arms back beyond the line of your shoulder

-to my ND folks: try to rest your arms sometimes, Trex arms are comfy but bad for circulation and joints

-if it feels like your eyes are trying to burst outta ur skull sometimes it means you need to lower inflammation in your sinus.

-for my bra-wearing folks: racer-backed bras hurt the upper traps less and distribute weight better

-drink water my dudes. Ur body hates life w/o it

[sneef-to-a-snorf-fight]

hypermobile ppl deserve a free exosuit. to brace our joints but also to kill

[persepinesascent]

Hi, I know I have benefitted from having access to leading world experts on this here where I am, so please let me share their wisdom:

If you have hEDS, you should NOT:

- do not stretch like a normal person (or really much at all). Your muscles don't stretch when they're crazy tight. Your tendons and ligaments do instead. And that's not what they're supposed to do. That's literally why they're subluxing all the time. If you want to stretch, be very very warmed up (cardio), and roll/massage all your muscles out first. And then learn how to safely isolate and stretch the muscles you're targeting. As a former certified fitness instructor, I can tell you that everyone is doing this wrong.

- do not go to a chiropractor. This goes for everyone really, if you were to ask a medical professional. I keep my mouth shut anyway when normal people go to one, mostly. But if you have hypermobile joints and other EDS tissue issues, this can be EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. Never let anyone, even an OMT adjust you with any kind of sudden shove or jerk. I recently had to unfollow someone who is now in a full back brace after a their chiro appointment ended in an ambulance ride. Bc it's none of my business, but I absolutely could not stand to watch them go back to the chiro again. Please please please just don't. Learn muscle energy techniques from a PT or OMT to reset your joints instead. It's far easier, cheaper, and safer.

- do not do yoga. I know. It breaks my fucking heart too, but the experts are right

- they told me not to do Pilates either. I know. But they were right about this too.

- watch out for Thai massage or similar, or anything where someone moves your limbs/bones for you or suspends your weight by them. All massage can be a bit risky, since our bones are held in place more by our muscles than by any tendons or ligaments (this is not normal). Yes, it sucks and it's a painful existence, and some targeted massage is absolutely necessary, but careful is the name of the game.

- stop doing fucking party tricks. You're only hurting yourself more by further stretching out your unstable joints every time you do. If it doesn't hurt yet, it absolutely will eventually. Trust me.

- don't let anyone try to diagnose you solely via the Beighton score. It's bullshit, and the best experts know it. Our muscles are too tight from working overtime to let many of us be that bendy all over all the time. The right diagnosis can be made from looking at and touching your weird skin, and scars. And your extensive history of joint issues. And the weird way you move and position yourself. And the fact that this runs in your family. And maybe a genetic blood test now, finally.

That's all I can think of right now.

And they still haven't figured out why we all have anxiety problems lmfao living like this truly necessitates hypervigilance about our own wellbeing.

[ebonytails]

Happy Disability Pride Month!

The Disability Zebra for the Pride Animal series is finally here! (The series where I take requests and design animals based on flags) I designed this all the way back in March, and thanks to everyone's feedback, I was able to narrow it down! (Special thanks to @yomcloud for a lot of helpful notes :-]c) This will never be perfect, but I've gotten a lot of love and joy from myself and disabled friends seeing this little guy :-]

You can get this guy on Redbubble! For local conventions, I'll be selling this as stickers with the gray outline!

Fun Fact! Zebras are also used as a symbol to represent rare diseases! This is based on the quote "When you hear the sound of hooves, think horses, not zebras." In regards to what doctors should consider when diagnosing a patient. This ends up with many disabled people not getting the right diagnosis, being ignored, or their conditions not being researched enough. All this because something is considered "rare", when in fact people with these disabilities are still large in number, diagnosed or not- a lot of disabled people even feel that their diagnoses may even be more common than we think. Because of this, the animal has been embraced by what doctors may call "medical zebras", now being used to represent many different disabilities considered "rare" such as Ehler's Danlos Syndrome, CACP Syndrome, and many more!

If you are disabled or know someone who is disabled, this pride animal is for you! If you are or know someone who is considered a "medical zebra", I hope this zebra brings you joy!