I had a bit of a rough Friday. I ended up needing to go to the hospital for an asthma attack (I’m doing much better now and well on my way to 100%, thank you for asking!) and got an IV. Stressful, yes. But the silver lining is that I walked away with a bruise.
So, I thought… well, why not document it for when I need to write bruises? And I have a Tumblr, so… you are in the boat with me.
Let's study my IV bruise and how it changes every day for more accurate writing.
(Images and warnings under the cut)
Two warnings before we start:
This is NOT medical advice: I am not a doctor, and I am definitely not qualified to give medical advice. This is purely a personal documentation of an injury I happened to sustain. Please consult a professional if you have your own medical concerns!
Skin Tone Context: I’m not white. I am biracial and have fair skin, usually matching the 2nd or 3rd shade of a neutral to neutral-cool foundation, depending on the brand and how much sun I’ve been getting. I mention this because bruising colours show up quite differently on different skin tones, so keep that in mind when using this for your own character descriptions.
1) The IV Placement:
It hurt when it was inserted, but not terribly (but it was aching a bit the whole time it was in, which makes me suspect it poked something it shouldn’t have).
Yes, I have very juicy veins, you'll see it when my arm isn't covered up. I’m a vampire’s favourite dish and a nurse’s easier patient.
2) 8-10 or so later
This was about 10 to 12 hours after the poking. You can see it’s starting to bloom. I thought it was as bad as it would get and I was wrong.
It hurt quite a bit, especially right at the insertion point and a little lower, where I think the tip of the needle ended up. Because they insert it at an angle to follow the vein, it’s a very delicate spot.
One thing I noticed was how much it bled once the IV was removed. Even with the cotton and tape, it soaked through in a circle about 2cm wide. It closed up on its own eventually; I was able to remove the bandage in the shower (about 40 minutes after the IV was out), clean up the last bit of blood, and it was fine.
3) 24 Hours Later (Day 2 – Today)
It is very ugly, to be honest, it has darkened significantly. It is tender right at the insertion point, but even more so at the bottom, where it’s darker, where I think the needle wasn’t supposed to go.
I tested the surrounding area by poking my other elbow; it also hurt a little, so I’m attributing the “ouch” factor to the muscles themselves simply not liking being squeezed. They are entitled to that, they are just doing their jobs.
And that’s where we are! Since I’m still currently living through Day 2, we have yet to see the rest.
I’ll be back with another update eventually, so you’re welcome to stick around.
Unsure if this has been asked before, apologies if it has:
What would the after effects be of a psionic/telepathic "invasion" so to speak?
(AKA what after effects would the doctor have felt ((if any)) after dealing with the midnight entity?)
What are the after-effects of a psionic/telepathic invasion?
When dealing with psionic injuries in Gallifreyans—particularly those resulting from invasive contact with non-corporeal entities—we refer to a broad category of conditions defined under the Psionic Emergency Pathway (PEP).
While official documentation is… sparse (the Doctor famously doesn't complete post-incident reports), we can construct a probable timeline and symptom profile based on established telepathic medicine.
🌀 Incident Summary: The Midnight Entity
An unknown, non-physical being boarded a sealed passenger vehicle and began exerting escalating influence over its occupants. Its attention quickly narrowed to the Doctor. Key phenomena included:
Vocal echolocation and mimicry
Escalation from repetition to predictive speech
Full synchronisation with the Doctor's vocal output
Attempted identity override (suggested: theft or occupation)
Early-stage motor control hijack
The entity displayed no visible form and no conventional material interface. Its attack relied entirely on psionic and linguistic synchronisation, using echo as a vector for infiltration—essentially, verbal parasitism.
⚠️ During: Psionic Overload in Real Time
Given the suddenness and intensity of the invasion, the most immediate condition would have been an acute psionic overload—a psychic event not unlike being struck by lightning. The Doctor's symptoms suggest the following:
Cognitive flooding: The Doctor's verbal output was being hijacked in real time, likely overwhelming his executive function.
Hyperarousal: His nervous system was likely in a state of acute sensory overload. Bright lights, movement, and—critically—touch may have felt agonising, especially as physical contact during high psionic stress can register as invasive or even violent. Being dragged or restrained likely amplified the sense of helplessness and pain.
Collapse of self–other boundary: As the entity's mimicry escalated, the boundary between 'self' and 'other' began to collapse. This kind of identity erosion isn't subtle—it feels like drowning inside your own skull.
It's crucial to note that this was a non-consensual invasion. Gallifreyans are naturally telepathic and capable of mutual psionic contact—but when such a connection is forced, recursive and predatory, it causes intense psychic trauma.
Had medical staff been present, immediate intervention would have included isolation fields, mental shielding, and emergency grounding protocols. Unfortunately, he got stuck in it for a while.
💢 After: Physical and Mental Symptoms
The Doctor appears to regain full cognitive control following the entity's removal, but several post-event symptoms are likely based on standard PEP cases:
Physical Symptoms (often delayed onset):
Severe migraines: Not just headaches—these are deep, radiating neural pains centred around the epiphysis cerebri (pineal gland), sometimes described as a “burnt light” sensation in the brain. Likely worsened by strong telepathic fields and loud environments.
Nosebleeds / Auditory overstimulation: The Doctor may have experienced sensory rebound—ordinary sounds could have become painfully sharp, triggering vascular dilation and minor bleeds.
Vocal dysregulation: After being hijacked at the linguistic level, many patients may experience lingering 'echoes' in their own speech—accidental mimicry of cadence, or slight stuttering as the speech centre recalibrates.
Fatigue and psionic dissonance: Gallifreyans recovering from psionic trauma may feel out-of-sync with their own thoughts, like the body and mind aren't coordinating properly.
Mental Symptoms (subtler, but more persistent):
Echo hallucinations: The voice of the invading entity may replay in memory like a looped recording, often triggered by stress or quiet environments.
Sleep disturbances / Lucid dreaming: Psionic trauma commonly leads to highly vivid or even semi-telepathic dreams, where the patient re-experiences the event or constructs psychic defences in their sleep.
Telepathic noise: Even after regaining control, residual psionic static may persist as background mental 'chatter' more severe than usual.
Emotional volatility: Anger, paranoia, guilt, or sudden dissociation—these aren't signs of weakness, but common responses to near-possession.
🧬 Long-Term Sequelae: Psionic Microscars
The most likely chronic consequence is the formation of psionic microscars—subtle, often invisible structural distortions in the mind's telepathic matrix. These do not usually impair function, but can:
Trigger minor glitches in psionic reception
Cause ghost echoes (phantom voices or thoughts) under stress
Reduce resistance to future possession-type invasions
Prompt avoidance behaviour
This may help explain the Doctor's notably visceral reaction when encountering it in a later incarnation.
🧾 Summary: What Midnight Did to the Mind
The Midnight Entity attack was psionic, invasive, and likely structurally damaging. The 10th Doctor almost certainly experienced acute overload during the incident and likely carried residual trauma, even if never formally diagnosed.
If this were a standard case presented to a Gallifreyan medical team, treatment would have included:
Immediate Zero Room rest for stabilisation
Neural recalibration via psycho-healer or TARDIS resonance
Regular telepathic check-ins
Long-term monitoring for degenerative changes
🏫So…
Please consult your TARDIS or a Gallifreyan Hospitaller if you've recently been mirrored, mimicked, or temporarily overwritten.
Related:
💬|⚕️The Stolen Earth (10th Doctor): Breakdown of the Dalek shooting scene in The Stolen Earth (4x12).
⚕️🔮Psionic Emergency Pathways
— 🗨️ Answers by GIL
Any orange text is educated guesswork or theoretical.
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Do you need high quality medical information for your fiction work? Bachelors of Science in Nursing, Master of Public Health. 6 years nursin
I posted a Craigslist ad for my consulting services if anyone wants to hire me for professional work. 25% discount on services if you contact me through tumblr.
Note: I don’t actually live in NYC or LA, that’s just where I posted it cause I figured there’s more creative people working on personal projects these days in those locations.
Hello my beloved tooth fairy friend, here to ask; when can I have coffee again? Because I am absolutely suffering without it. I’m literally going through caffeine withdrawals 😭
Omg friend I am here to tell you you shall no suffer no longer; go and get yourself a coffee right this instant! You can absolutely have caffeine now. For future reference, you can even have it on the first day after surgery! You can also drink through a straw now, if you’re comfortable, because it’s been four days. Take it easy and enjoy.❤️
I’m currently fighting the flu (ugh!) and, as I’ve talked to my husband about it, I’ve realized that some of what I know about the flu isn’t common knowledge. (Perks of growing up around a bunch of physicians!) So, while I laze around drinking tea with honey and trying not to shiver my skin off, here’s a quick infodump of shit you should know about the flu. Sources under the readmore.
I’m going to cover what flu is, how it’s transmitted, how you can avoid it and how you can treat it. I’ll also give some info on how to get vaccinations and treatment at a reduced price.
What is it?
Info in this post applies only to influenza. People colloquially refer to many things as “the flu.” A stomach bug or bad cold might receive the label. But actually, influenza is a specific disease caused by the influenza virus. There are three species of flu virus: A, B (more severe) and C (less common and less severe), each with many variations (called serotypes). Remember the swine flu outbreak in 2009? That was H1N1, a serotype of Influenza A.
The flu is a respiratory disease that infects the nose, throat and lungs. The main symptoms include:
fever (not always present, but often high)
cough
sore throat
runny or stuffy nose
body aches
headache
chills
fatigue
If your *main* symptom is puking/the runs, you more likely have something like gastroenteritis. One of the keys to recognizing flu is the rapid onset of symptoms. Unlike a cold, which creeps up on you over the course of days, the flu typically comes on fast. I woke up yesterday morning with a bit of a headache and a scratchy throat; by evening I was laid out with a 102 degree (F) fever, aches, chills and general fatigue.
If you’re lucky, your symptoms may be mild and last only a few days. If you’re unlucky, they could last up to two weeks, involve complications like pneumonia, and even result in death. Yes, even if you’re young and healthy. It’s most dangerous to the very young, very old and immunocompromized.
How do I get it?
As mentioned above, the flu virus takes up residence in your respiratory tract. It stands to reason, then, that it’s primarily passed through the air: an infected person coughs, sneezes or breathes nearby, and you inhale the particles. Or you smooch someone with flu. The virus can also live for one or two days on surfaces like doorknobs, light switches, etc.
People are capable of transmitting the virus about one day before symptoms show up and (typically) 3-7 days afterward.
While you can catch the flu at any time of year, it’s most common from October to March.
How do I avoid it?
The single best way, according to every reliable source out there, is getting a flu shot. No, it’s not 100 percent effective -- the flu is constantly mutating.
Each year, the World Health Organization tries to predict which strains are going to be most prevalent, and develops a vaccine accordingly. Some years they guess better than others; during the 2018-19 season, overall effectiveness is estimated at 61 percent so far. That means cutting your chance of getting the flu by more than half, which is pretty significant, as one study estimated 1 in 10 unvaccinated adults and 1 in 5 unvaccinated children get the flu each year.
Most insurance plans cover flu vaccinations (not mine, unfortunately) and many organizations offer free flu shots. Google “free flu shots near me” and see if anything comes up. If you can’t get one for free, check GoodRx for coupons; a flu shot is $24 at the Walmart near me with a coupon.
There’s a lot of fear-mongering about vaccines going on right now. While that isn’t the focus of this post, these two fact sheets from the CDC should help clear up your fears. What I will note is that the flu vaccine CANNOT give you the flu. None of them are made with live viruses.
I’m a procrastinating idiot and forgot to get my vaccine this year; I’m paying the price, doing penance by writing this post and trying not to infect anyone else.
Research also indicates that even if you still catch the flu after getting vaccinated, your symptoms are likely to be less severe and less long-lasting.
You can also wash your hands (frequently!) and try to avoid large crowds.
What if I catch it?
The above info might have you freaked out about catching the flu. What many people (including my husband) apparently don’t know is if you DO catch the flu, you don’t have to just tough it out. There are treatments available!
The key here is recognizing your symptoms early. If you visit a doctor within 48 hours of developing symptoms, they can prescribe Tamiflu or another antiviral medication that should help you get over the flu much faster, with a lot less suffering.
Your primary care physician or a nearby urgent care clinic will be able to perform a flu test and evaluate your symptoms to provide a diagnosis. (Be nice and wear a face mask to the waiting room!) The test involves a quick swab of your nostrils or throat and then 10-15 minutes of waiting. Prices will vary depending on where you go and insurance/lack thereof; a little research brought back prices between $50 (at a Walmart Care Clinic) and $150 (whoof).
However, according to the CDC, the flu test is likely to return false negatives (meaning, fail to properly diagnose flu’s presence), especially in adults. Your doctor may not insist on administering it, and may go ahead and prescribe Tamiflu even if it comes back negative. They may also prescribe Tamiflu to your household members as a preventative measure.
If Tamiflu isn’t covered by your insurance, or you don’t have insurance, download the GoodRx app/visit the website immediately. It’s a free app that will find coupons for the pharmacies near you. Without GoodRx, Tamiflu would’ve cost me $153; with it, the five-day course cost $48.88 at Walmart Pharmacy.
According to the CDC, most people who catch flu experience mild symptoms and don’t really need antivirals. For me, the cost and trouble was worth it to avoid missing extra days of work and risking complications. It’s especially important to get on antivirals if you’re at risk for flu complications.
Here are some other things you can do:
Take doses of ibuprofen, acetaminophen or naproxen, which are over-the-counter pain relievers that will also reduce your cramps and fever.
Sip soothing drinks, like tea with honey. Just stay hydrated, in general!
Suck cough drops or try an over-the-counter cough suppressant.
Cuddle up to a heat pack or hot pad to calm aches and chills.
Rest, rest, rest.
Coughing keeping you awake? Prop up on an extra couple of pillows.
If you feel up to it, do some gentle yoga stretches to help with cramps and aches.
Make sure to eat; your body needs energy to fight the virus.
Wash your hands often, and cover your coughs and sneezes.
If at all possible, stay home for at least 3-4 days after your symptoms show up. I know America’s shitty labor practices make this impossible for some people. No judgment here. If you do have to go out, please be extra-careful about hand-washing!
With the help of Tamiflu and/or the above steps, most people can ride the flu out without issue. But if any of the following symptoms show up, head to the ER.
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Persistent pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Persistent dizziness, confusion, inability to arouse
Seizures
Not urinating
Severe muscle pain
Severe weakness or unsteadiness
Fever or cough that improve but then return or worsen
Worsening of chronic medical conditions
Any other severe/concerning symptoms
Emergency symptoms are different in children; follow this link for more info.
SOURCES:
CDC: Key Facts About Influenza (Flu), Interim estimates of ... vaccine effectiveness, Vaccine safety concerns, Misconceptions about flu vaccines, What to do if you get sick
Wikipedia: Gastroenteritis, Influenza
Harvard: How long does the flu last?
Time: The flu killed a healthy 21-year-old man.
ScienceDirect: Estimating the annual attack rate...
I love all ur medical info posts I’ve used them a lot. I was wondering if you still answer questions about medical stuff cause I don’t wanna bother you if you don’t. I’m trying to find a realistic injury that would require someone to have an ng tube, I was thinking like an esophageal injury but I’m not sure. I hope this isn’t too out of the blue or strange :)
That’s totally fine!
So NG tubes have two main purposes- to either put something in or take something out.
Out is probably less common, but would be used in the case of pumping someone’s stomach, such as if they’d taken an overdose of medication or ingested something harmful.
NG tubes are more well known for being feeding tubes, because medications and supplemental feedings can be done this way. These might be used for someone with an eating disorder. (Many other reasons that will require long term feeding tubes, like people who can’t swallow, will likely use another method, and may only have an NG tube as a short term measure.) A medication that may be given via NG tube is activated charcoal, in the case of overdoses
An NG tube can also be used as a diagnostic tool, like to check for blood in the case of upper GI bleeding.
Most patients who have breathing tubes will have an NG tube put in, for a number of reasons, like to empty their stomach to reduce the risk of aspiration pneumonia, and also to give medication if necessary.
An NG tube might be used for an esophogeal injury, like you suggested. It depends on the nature and severity of the injury. It can be used a bit later on with later surgical measures if the esophagus is damaged.
There are a few cases where an NG tube would not be used: severe facial trauma, recent nasal surgery, and a few relative indicators like bleeding disorders.
If you’re looking for something short term, I’d suggest maybe an ingestion of some kind of harmful material or medication. If you’re looking more long term, you could go with an esophogeal injury, which would probably need more in depth research, or someone with an eating disorder who requires supplemental feeding.
(If you need anything cleared up, shoot me another ask!)
