Health resources

"You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves." -Mary Oliver | sideblog for things I find useful for AuDHD, mental health, adulting, and chronic illness

[littlemissihaveaquestion]

Reminder that spring will always come back, music will never stop being created, and there are still so many books left to read! You’re alive! You’re alive! You’re alive!

[pojkflata]

The reason vaginal atrophy in HRT is rarely discussed isn't because some nefarious boogeyman wants to transgenderficate all your pretty lesbian crushes into chronic pelvic pain it's because people don't give a shit about transmasculine reproductive health and you hijacking the topic for your detransition propaganda will only make things worse as you discourage transmascs from researching the subject and learning that it's treatable

"You'll live with chronic pain for the rest of your life is it worth it" casual ableism aside you're saying that as if vaginal atrophy doesn't happen to half of all postmenopausal people, what makes you think you're immune

[changelingfangs]

Because I am on a mission to make sure everyone knows this and every time vaginal atrophy comes up, I will bring it up: Vaginal atrophy is easily preventable and treatable. if YOU are on T and you're experiencing it, PLEASE let your gyno/HRT doc know. They can prescribe topical estrogen which will treat the issue without interfering with your HRT! I've looked into it a LITTLE and over the counter phyto-estrogen creams seem to have an effect but IDK if I'd 100% trust them. Sorry, this is just super fucking important to me and literally everyone on T needs to know about it because when I was doing the research NO ONE brought up how easily it was treated until I looked into vaginal atrophy itself and found out because of how it's treated in menopausal women. When I talked to the doctor at planned parenthood she echoed this, too. That if vaginal atrophy starts to develop, I should just let her know so she can prescribe me topical estrogen to help! the fact that we aren't fucking told this is PART of the problem. The fact that we're told it's inevitable and untreatable is part of the problem. You don't *have* to deal with that pain and discomfort.

[genderkoolaid]

!!!

Topical estrogen won't affect your T levels either, from what I know. It will just affect the vagina, so you don't have to worry that your transition will be impacted if you do get vaginal atrophy treated. If you are worried about topical estrogen affecting your transition talk to your doctor! There's no reason trans people should suffer out of fear and misinformation.

[canadianwheatpirates]

This is true! Be aware that whether you can get effective treatments over the counter will depend on the exact pharmacy laws in your area -- for example, in NZ it’s a prescription-only medicine (but prescriptions are subsidised so this isn’t too bad).

This matters because there’s a bunch of products out there that claim to treat vaginal atrophy, including lube and “vaginal moisturisers”, which don’t have the estrogen in them that makes it work properly. You’ll probably get some relief from the moisturising but it won’t be reversing the atrophy. These products are available over the counter and one is directly shilled by Buck Angel lmfao so it can be tempting to go for them rather than going through the hassle of getting a script, but please, if you can, get the prescription stuff that works the best ^_^

[emi--rose]

If you're post menopausal or on T, please talk to your doctor about vaginal estrogen! It can help prevent frequent UTIs which are a common complication of vaginal atrophy, not to mention chronic pain and dyspareunia.

[fatgirldangerousworld]

do I love or even like myself all the time? no. but the thing is, I can still try to treat myself kindly when I don’t. self love isn’t a permanent state of being but an ongoing project

[fatmasc]

If ur like me and driving urself crazy trying to find a top surgeon but ur fat then look at transbmi. Its a short list of surgeons with high or no BMI limit (some surgeons are listed as having an unknown limit - be extra wary of them as they dont guarantee a high limit)

[diaspora-transan]

I had a friend go thru KU Med, and he said they don't have a BMI requirement for top surgery. However, they do have a (flexible) one for bottom surgery, mostly because having hanging stomach fat on a brand new penis will not be good for said brand new penis. So, despite what their website says, BMI is not a factor for top surgery.

I've had 2 friends go thru KU Med for top surgery, one thru Dr. Ponuru, and one thru Dr. Farmer. Both are fat, both are gnc but binary trans men, both had good results. From everything I've heard, the surgeons are very open/welcoming to nonbinary people as well.

[fatmasc]

I cannot stress enough: if you know of a surgeon who you think should be on this list PLEASE contact Elijah Castle, the trans man who runs transbmi. He has a google form linked at the bottom of the page for submissions. I do not run transbmi so i cant add the reccomendations i keep seeing in the notes!

[dissociativedoe]

sending love out tonight to everyone who is progressively losing their abilities, whether that's movement, ability to walk, eyesight, or hearing.

it's hard to come to terms with the fact that you can't do things that you used to be able to do. I'll be honest, it feels like you're losing control of your life. it can feel very isolating and hopeless. its scary and overwhelming, and it's so hard to deal with.

you are not less than just because you can do less. im proud of you for still being here, and i wish you ease with adjusting to new ways of life. please take care of yourself, i love you.

[phluphfy]

gentle addition for the folks who are losing their mental capacity in any way, shape, or form. If you can’t think as clearly as you used to, if you don’t have the executive functioning you once had, if your memory is getting worse, if your sensory processing issues are increasing, if your episodes are becoming more frequent. Your life has inherent value and I hope I can help remind you of that.

[odos-amorphous-dick]

Shout out to my disabled transmascs who can't bind even if you want to. Who want to, maybe even used to, but who's bodies won't let them. For those where it will cause pain, it will cause breathing issues, it will trigger sensory issues, it will be unbearable. Toughest dudes out there.

[its-tortle]

i don't know who needs to hear this, but you're allowed to gain weight in your twenties. you are a grown ass adult now. your body can and should not be the same as it was at seventeen. allow it to grow along with you <3

[fatgirldangerousworld]

lately i’ve been trying to remind myself that my body doesn’t need to look or even function any particular way for me to experience most of the things i love. i don’t have to put so much pressure on myself. i can just exist, and that can be enough

[cripinpain]

fat cripples my beloved<3

we are so great for surviving the combination of systemic fatphobia AND ableism.

sending so much love to you all💜

[aspergersissues]

It helped me to realize this.

[arcadsia]

[ ID start: the meme of Jim from the office pointing at a whiteboard while staring at the camera edited into two parts. The first half has Jim pointing to the text "the version of me you created in your mind" pasted over the whiteboard. In the second Jim is sitting, staring at the camera with the text "is not my responsibility." on the whiteboard. end ID ]

[warmbloodedbutch]

an important piece of advice for future parents:

don’t insult your kid’s weight

don’t insult your kid’s weight

don’t insult your kid’s weight

just don’t even comment on it

your kid is well aware of their weight

just don’t do it

[fat-and-sapphic]

A small gentle reminder that you never ever have to apologize for the size of your body. You’re lovely. 

[jemineye]

i cant stress this enough, disabled people know their own limits. i fucking promise you. we are not being lazy or jerks because we won't do something YOU want us to do or something YOU THINK will make us feel better. it wont. stop.

[only-knives]

it's not a moral failing if you're fat and it harms your health. your fatness doesn't make your disability or illness your fault. the quality of your health does not make you flawed. it doesn't define who you are.

you are a whole person, and your fatness and health concerns are morally neutral. they're natural.

[heavyweightheart]

“… the norm in our society is to accept the following falsehoods as true: a) obesity has a causative role in the onset and progression of numerous chronic conditions; b) fat is an energy storage unit rather than the actual highly sensitive metabolic manager that it is; and c) diets (restricting food intake or food groups) and exercise are necessary to “treat” the presence of an above-average sized fat organ to realize presumed improvements in morbidity and mortality outcomes.

The Homeodynamic Recovery Method accepts the following evidence-based confirmations as true: a) obesity has no proven causative role in the onset of any chronic condition (1,2) and its appearance may be a protective response to the onset of numerous chronic conditions generated from currently unknown causes (3,4,5,6); b) the fat organ is the largest hormone-producing organ in the body and it produces hormones that gate critical body functions as diverse as bone and blood formation and reproductive and metabolic functions (7); and c) diet and exercise regimes are hyped beyond all proportion regarding their actual scientific value for health and longevity in human beings (8,9,10,11) let alone being viable treatments for reducing the size of a critical hormone-producing organ in the body.”

- Gwyneth Olwyn, Recover from Eating Disorders

[fatliberation]

Do you have any resources on going to the doctors while fat? Im tired of not being taken seriously, and I dont want to potentially trigger an ED relapse cause my weight was measured.

Oh, you know I do!! ✨

So, you actually do not have to be weighed at your doctor’s visit! You can explain to them that it is triggering for you, or you can simply opt-out and say “I’d like to decline being weighed today.” If you have to be weighed for something such as anesthesia or medication dosage, you can request a blind weigh-in, where you step on the scale backwards and the nurse will not show you the number they write down. You can also close your eyes.

If you’re feeling uncomfortable, you can go home at any time. Get up and walk away. Not feeling good about the experience is enough reason to end the appointment. You can say:

“I’m really uncomfortable in this appointment. I am going to put my clothes back on and leave.”

“I’m feeling overwhelmed right now. Can we reschedule this appointment?”

You don’t have to explain yourself to your doctor, and don’t worry, they’ve likely experienced this before. It’s written in the patients’ bill of rights that you have the right to refuse medical treatment that’s recommended by your physician and that you should be able to work with your doctor on mutually agreeable terms.

You may also request an online or phone appointment instead of in person. It’s f*cking ridiculous that this is actually true, but since covid began a lot of fat people have been receiving better care over telemedicine because our bodies are less visible.

If you get pushback from your provider, I recommend finding a new doctor. Your boundaries should be respected. Health At Every Size has resources to help you find a practitioner who will focus on your health independent from weight. (And here’s a list of fat friendly practicing health professionals by fatfriendlydocs.com. If you’re in the U.S., you can look them up by state.)

In the meantime, setting boundaries is your last resort. Let your doctor know that you are uninterested in pursuing weight loss, that dieting is a predictor to developing an ED, (and in your case, severely triggering for the ED you’ve already been struggling with). Ask them what treatment they would recommend for someone in a thin body, and request that they treat you the same.

If they don’t, ask them to make notes of the conditions they’re dismissing based on your weight. “Can you please make a note that you refused to test me for X on my file?” This might change their mind, or at least when you see someone else it’ll be on your notes and that other GP will (hopefully) take you seriously.

Here’s a video by @classyfattybabe that shows an example of this and other specific phrases to set boundaries with your doctor.

I am so sorry you have to advocate for yourself at the doctor’s office. No one should ever have to go through this. My heart is with you. Best of luck at your next visit, love ❤️

[beardedmrbean]

Cory Lee has visited 40 countries on seven continents, and yet the Georgia native has never explored Cloudland Canyon State Park, about 20 minutes from his home. His wheelchair was tough enough for the trip to Antarctica but not for the rugged terrain in his backyard.

Lee’s circumstances changed Friday, when Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources and the Aimee Copeland Foundation unveiled a fleet of all-terrain power wheelchairs for rent at 11 state parks and outdoorsy destinations, including Cloudland Canyon. The Action Trackchair models are equipped with tank-like tracks capable of traversing rocks, roots, streams and sand; clearing fallen trees; plowing through tall grass and tackling uphill climbs.

“I’ll finally be able to go on these trails for the first time in my life,” said the 32-year-old travel blogger, who shares his adventures on Curb Free with Cory Lee. “The trails are off-limits in my regular wheelchair.”

Georgia is one of the latest states to provide the Land Rover of wheelchairs to outdoor enthusiasts with mobility issues.

In 2017, Colorado Parks and Wildlife launched its Staunton State Park Track-Chair Program, which provides free adaptive equipment, though guests must pay the $10 entrance fee. Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources has placed off-road track chairs in nearly a dozen parks, including Muskegon State Park. In 2018, Lee reserved a chair at the park that boasts three miles of shoreline on Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake. “It allowed me to have so much independence on the sand,” he said.

Mobility FTW