#eds zebra

[spookietrex]

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

Last night I literally got tearful thinking about Abby and the zebra again.

(And no, I have not been watching TLOU Season 2, I have been forcefully subjected to some BS regarding the show on apps where I can't tag block. But it has got me thinking about the stuff that I fell in love with about the game and how they are inevitably going to assassinate it during the second half of the adaptation.)

As someone with chronic pain caused by a rare disease, the first time I experienced the zebra scene, I ended up sobbing so hard that I was breathless and I had to pause the game and walk away and come back to it. It's one of the most breath-takingly perfect scenes ever, and I think a lot of people don't even understand it.

Most people who have a rare disease refer to themselves as 'zebras'. This is because, in medical school, doctors are taught "when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras". This basically means that they are taught to look for the most obvious and common answer to diagnose a patient, and this means that people with rarer diseases get overlooked and go undiagnosed because we are the uncommon answer that doctors are told not to look for.

And in TLOU2, they end up literally spelling out this metaphor for us to see, in a scene that I believe is meant to show that Jerry Anderson is a good doctor and a good person. This scene was so painfully intentional, and most people don't even know what it means.

They show us hoofprints in the mud, they let us hear sounds of trotting, and because we have already seen so many horses in this world, we have to assume that the animal Jerry is trying to rescue - is a horse. It is the most obvious assumption. Because it's been so long since the first game, we forget about the giraffes from the zoo, and we don't think that there would be more wild animals roaming around in the city.

And then, you see the zebra - and it's beautiful. It's shocking. And it literally brings the metaphor to life. It is the most uncommon creature you would think would never leave those hoofprints, and Jerry is being a kind, compassionate doctor in trying to save it.

And it's fully my belief that someone with a rare disease who knows about this metaphor wrote this into the script, because it does not feel like a coincidence that they have a doctor character saving a zebra after showing the audience its hoofprints and clearly expecting us to believe that it's a horse.

Anyway - I cry whenever I think about this moment in the game, and it's just one of the many reasons I fell in love with Abby and her story. (Because it gives you the sense that her father was truly a good person.)

(And I'm willing to bet in the adaptation, they're going to make her father seem like as much of an evil asshole as possible so that the audience can justify Joel killing him way more.)

[lmtyl]

Sometimes I wake up feeling as tired as when I went to bed.

Today I woke up MORE TIRED than when I went to bed.

Grrrreat.

[starsh1nestar]

Hello my darlings!

Today I wanted to make a special post for ehlers danlos littles

My zebra darlings are so so so strong and I am so so so proud of you alllll 💕

I brought you these little trinkets since I heard figs week has been tough for my little ones

Remember to wear your stripes with pride because you are never alone in this.

There are so so many other zebra kiddos out there.

Mommy is always here for you as well.

I hear your pain. I hear your frustration.

I will always be here when you need someone to lean on and to take care of you.

okay?

Why don’t we get you all tucked in bed with your new blankie?

there we go!

you are such a cutieee, aren’t youuu

I’ll stay right by your side sweetheart. I know sleeping can be difficult :((

Mommy’s going to watch over you, don’t worry

I’m so proud of my little baby zebras 🦓 🖤🤍

post masterlist

DNI: NSFW (nothing against yall, just don’t want it to be associated with my blog), queerphobic, ableists, TERFS, truscum, racists, DID/OSDD deniers, those without respect for others in general.

[ribbitflings]

my ankle is trying to run away from home (its socket)

[tumble-tv]

Yet another camp story:

I met 5 other campers with EDS, which is awesome, but the way we started talking was hilarious. They took one look at the way I walk with my crutches, my knees, my hands, and how I pushed my wheelchair and crossed the room, came up to me and said "You have EDS, don't you."

LIKE THANK YOU YES THERES A VERY HIGH PROBABILITY BUT DOCTORS FUCKING SUCK

[themadornithologist]

We live in a world where chronically ill and disabled humans seeking help are treated like criminals. No one should feel like they need lawyers to litigate for their bodies and minds.

[chronicallye]

This Barbie feels like she has been thrown down a flight of stairs.