(This happened a couple years ago)
I had a stroke in 2022 & now have acquired dyslexia and already had auditory processing disorder + dyscalculia as an autistic person. So, I met up with some acquaintances from undergrad (knew me before the incident) and they called me stupid & an r-slur as a joke when I struggled to read the menu.
I said, “that’s not fucking funny dude, don’t say that shit. Doesn’t help that I could have died, too”. So the main guy went, “Oh, sorry, braindead then” and I ended up just leaving and blocking all of them. Wtf are your problems???
This is anti brain injury/damage, and something I sadly relate to a lot as a fellow stroke survivor. It's horrible that those people felt so comfortable being so undeniably ableist, and I'm glad they're not in your life anymore because you absolutely deserve better!
It's actually stroke awareness month this month (along with many other celebratory and awareness months) and it's a good time to do some research if anyone reading this has never really encountered much information about strokes and stroke survivors - don't be like these dickheads
Strokes are traumatic, life-altering, and could happen to anyone regardless of age, sex, or perceived health. It's always good practice to manage your risks (especially if you're already at a higher risk of having one) and you can always get check-ups on things like blood pressure if you're already in the doctor's office for something else - some people even buy their own kit to regularly check for themselves
Stroke.org's page on Stroke Awareness Month (link)
Managing Risk (link)
Signs and Symptoms (link) - be aware that symptoms can be difficult to notice yourself, mild, short-lasting, or you might just get one of them. You should still seek medical attention! Strokes aren't always easy to notice and symptoms aren't always 'severe seeming'
