Tea & Spoons

Tips, tricks, and what to expect when navigating life with a chronic illness, disability, or rare disease ☕🥄💙

[thefibrodiaries]

coming to terms with and accepting your illnesses is good and healthy it does not mean you’re “giving in” or “letting them win”

[allez-argeiphontes-deactivated2]

also: there are no medals for getting off your meds, stopping therapy or no longer needing regular appointments.

You are not weak for needing ongoing treatment. Accepting your condition and getting the help you need is HARD but it’s a massive achievement and you should be proud. You got this.

[kittenwitchandthebadvibes]

[haylienhabits]

@hell-yeah-french-fries

[professionaldaydreamer2]

You are allowed to be happy while also being sick It doesn’t make your illness, pain, or fatigue any less real It doesn’t make your struggles any less valid

Don’t let anyone make you feel like you should have to hide or diminish or put an end to your happiness in order to prove something about your illness

IF THEY TRY THIS, THROW GLITTER AT THEM AND MAKE YOUR ESCAPE

[ciaocasper]

Things I've learned since becoming ill...

• It’s nobody’s fault. It is genetic. It just happened.

• Do not be too proud or stubborn to ask for help. You need it.

• Brush your teeth and wash your face (even just with a baby wipe) everyday if you’re able to do so. It makes you feel more human.

• Shower or bathe whenever you are able to. Good personal hygiene is good for your mental health.

• Some people will leave. You don’t need those people. Others will stay and they are wonderful human beings.

• You are not a burden. You are not useless. Do not be guilty. Please. Guilt will eat your insides.

• You have not lost who you are. You just now have to make adjustments to accommodate this new thing.

• Accept the fact that you have an illness. Being in denial will only make your mental and physical health worse.

• Clean pyjamas are a divine gift. As are clean bedding and blankets.

• Self care is entirely subjective. If you want to do yoga then do it, if you wanna sit and eat takeout in front of the TV in a squirtle onesie then that’s fine too. Whatever makes you feel good, or at least better.

• If you are tired then rest. Do not burn yourself out. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is, if you need a nap then you have one.

• Talk. Write. Sing. Paint. Draw. Dance. Do something to express your feelings. Don’t keep them inside. You’ll explode.

• Don’t worry if you can’t adjust right away. It takes time. A lot of time.

• Do not feel ashamed or embarrassed. Unfortunately illness often has embarrassing symptoms or such. It isn’t your fault. People who allow you to feel embarrassed about such things are terrible people.

• Keep your sense of humour. Some days it’s the only thing that gets you through.

• There will be good days. Grab them with both hands and enjoy them. Savour them. Spend them doing things you love, things that you can’t do on bad days.

• Prepare yourself to the best of your ability. Like…always have a hospital weekend bag packed for emergencies, keep a bed day drawer or bag near to where you sleep, have food or snacks close by, always have a water bottle…

• Take your meds. Please. If you have a serious illness for the love of god don’t listen to the “big pharma” conspiracy theorists. You need your meds. They keep you alive. They enable you to function.

• Research your illness. Keep yourself informed. But don’t dwell on what might happen. Please don’t scare yourself.

• It’s okay not to feel positive all the time. It’s okay to feel down. It’s perfectly natural. But try to be as positive as you can. For your own sake.

• Your own health comes first. It’s not selfishness it’s survival.

• Be kind to yourself.

• The bad days can be horrific but the good ones are beautiful, and so worth holding on for.

• Don’t give up on love. Just don’t.

• You are a badass warrior.

[chroniccurve]

If you could go back and do things differently when you started university or tell your freshman-self some advice, what would you do/say? I start college in a few weeks with chronic pain and I'm very nervous about new challenges and how to manage my disease away at school.

Ooh. Loaded question. I’d do a lot of things differently, very few of them having anything to do with my health.

Things I’d tell my 18 year old freshman self:

Get involved with your Student Disability Resource Center ASAP. Do not wait until your symptoms get out of control, don’t feel ashamed or like you’re abusing the system. I’d have reached out to them for help much sooner than I did. Use the accommodations you’re offered. If you find you don’t need to use them, great! But keep them as a safety net. Trust me on this.

Put a lot of effort into getting to know your professors. Again, if I had asked for help instead of feeling embarrassed and shutting down, I probably wouldn’t have failed stats 3 times (perspective: I aced the class the 4th time I took it and asked for accommodations and now I really like stats!). Now, I make a point to get to know my professors, share with them a tiny bit of what I’m up against physically, and it has made a world of difference. I don’t hesitate to miss class when I need to, I know I can stop in and not feel like I’m offending my professor if I need to be caught up on some work, etc. They have appreciated me keeping them up to speed with where I’m at, understanding my limitations, and are able to tell me what they need from me in order to make things work. Also important: write thank you notes at the end of each semester!

Get involved, but pace yourself and be particular about where you invest your time. I wish I had done this earlier. Join greek life, join an organization, club, academic fraternity, whatever, but find one you really love and give it your time. Physically, I don’t have it in me to give 4 or so organizations my time and energy. I choose two and I wish I had thought to do this when I was a freshman instead of jumping from group to group and half-assing the effort I gave to them. It can be tough to make friends when you’re chronically ill for a multitude of reasons, but if you can harness some of your energy into a smaller number of extracurricular groups, you might have an easier time! Don’t spread yourself too thin, find something you’re passionate about, and get to know the people who share that passion!

Schedule your rest. That might sound odd, but now that I’m in upper level classes, my days are incredibly long and busy. If I don’t schedule rest into my routine, I won’t rest. This usually results in a 2am crash and burn in a Strozier library study room and it’s not pretty. If your major, classes, and schedule are demanding, make sure you get into the habit of scheduling an hour or two of mandated rest. It might sound a little weird, but it’s important to make your health as high a priority as your new social/academic life.

Not everyone is going to understand your limitations—and that’s okay. If I could go back, I would stop apologizing for my physical limitations in social situations. Yeah, you might have to plan your outtings better (is there seating at that bar? Do we have to walk far to the club? etc etc) and others might find it annoying. That’s okay. Chances are, anyone not willing to understand, accept, or welcome how you handle your medical situation isn’t someone you want around. There will be a ton of people coming in and out of your life over the next little while—it’s okay if some of those people don’t stick around very long. Make no apologies for your disability or disease.

Remember that going to college is a huge change and the transition takes time. Some people adapt right away, others take a year to feel comfortable. It took me two and a half years, believe it or not. And if I had given myself the time to adjust instead of beating myself up for my limited abilities and the challenges they posed, I probably would have been a happier 18-20 year old. College isn’t really like the movies. It’s okay if you hate it at first—it can be an overwhelming experience. It’s okay (and dare I say, normal) if your body freaks out in response to a new living situation and routine. Give your mind and body some time to adjust, and ask for help if you are struggling.

Good luck, Anon. I know it’s a scary change, but you’ll be okay! You can do this! Please submit some more specific questions if you have them, and check out these other posts:

Coordinating New Medical Care in College/University

Study Suggestions: 19 Tips to Study Strong and Fight the Fatigue/Fog

More Study Suggestions

Surviving Final Exams

Your First Two Weeks on Campus

[chroniccurve]

College and Chronic Illness: Professor Etiquette

Going into university, the teacher-student relationship changes. No longer are you one of thirty kids that your teacher knows by name; you are now a number and, typically, an unfamiliar face in a crowd of up to 300+ other students. 

For freshmen entering university and/or those of you with a new diagnosis of a chronic condition, the professor-student relationship takes on an entirely new importance. While you may have been able to escape getting to know your professors prior to illness, now it is paramount that you create this relationship.  

Office Hours. Know them, use them, and introduce yourself to your professors within the first week or two of the semester. Let them know you’ll be in contact with information from your school’s disability center, give them an idea of who you are, and tell them you look forward to speaking with them again shortly. Ultimately, you want them to remember who you are. Sending an email prior to the first week (week before is a good time frame, as they’re likely to have an idea of their busy schedule and you of yours) or during the very first week of classes and asking to arrange a convenient time to meet is important.  

You are not required to disclose the nature of your condition. While you are required to disclose that you have one (and should via your school’s disability resource center, something I talk about here), you do not have to explain what your illness entails. However– assuming you feel comfortable doing so–giving your professors an idea of the challenges you face may help them understand, have more empathy, and accommodate you better.    

Out of sight, out of mind. Don’t just go to your professor’s office hours once to introduce yourself; go multiple times throughout the semester. Ask for help when you need it, discuss concerns when you have them, and remain a familiar face. And go to class. Seriously, as someone who didn’t go to class nearly enough…just go.  

Show Your Appreciation. Always let professors know how much their help is appreciated. Handwritten thank-you notes are the perfect, personal way to say thanks. Don’t just send an email. Protip: a Starbucks gift card for $10 and a handwritten thank you note at the end of a semester (AFTER final grades are put in) is always, always a great idea.  

Dealing with a professor who is not understanding is, unfortunately, not uncommon. Avoiding these professors is key.

Research your professors before you choose a class. Look up your professors on ratemyprofessor.com. Look for consistent reviews. There are always going to be students who didn’t try, didn’t attend lecture, and then blame the professor and write poor reviews. Disregard those sparse negative comments. You want to look for well written, understandable, consistent comments. Protip: your university likely has course evaluation scores and pass/fail percentages in a database somewhere. Students DO have access to this information–if you can’t find it online, call the registrar and ask where you can access it; that information/feedback is valuable!   

Kill ‘Em With Kindness. You catch more flies with honey. Use kindness as your first plan. Refusing to accommodate a hard working, present, and kind student is much more difficult than refusing to accommodate a student who does not care and who seems to be abusing disability accommodations. This also helps when kindness doesn’t work and you have to get a higher power involved: if they know you are an honest, sincere, diligent student, your professor is going to have a harder time blowing off whatever higher power comes down on them. I speak from experience.  

Don’t Take No For an Answer. Kindness didn’t work? Now it’s time to put your bitch face on (expletive necessary). You’ve heard that the squeaky wheel gets the oil, right? It’s true. You have to be willing to stand up and make some noise. If you have the proper documentation, a professor does not have the right to deny you these university-mandated accommodations. Go directly to your disability center and meet with whoever drafted your accommodation letters (which you should get first thing). Explain which professors refuse to accommodate your needs. Be explicit and clear in describing what your professor(s) refuse to help you with. If your professor refuses to accommodate even after your resource center contacts them, then it’s time to move onto the dean of undergraduate students/affairs, and so on. Do not take no for an answer, even if that means going all the way to the school’s president.

If All Else Fails… consider dropping the class and taking it with another professor. Your education and well being come first. If that means waiting a semester to get an A in a class rather than an undeserved C/D/F, so be it. 

Give Feedback. Go online and write your own review of your professors each semester. Your feedback can help future students with similar struggles avoid or find a particular professor.

Remember, you can assert yourself without crossing a line. University is what you make of it and there’s nothing better than when wonderful professors become mentors!

[chroniccurve]

Updated!

[theweirdwideweb]

Dudes healthcare is so fake. My ADHD meds are $940 without insurance. But they gave me a website of "coupons" which straight up looks like a scam website, and I got it today for $60! Just a coupon from a random website and it was $900 cheaper. America, I am confusion!! America explain!!

[theweirdwideweb]

For all my uninsured judys out there it's for Walgreens only: walgreens.rxsense.com

[theweirdwideweb]

[handsmotif]

as a pharmacy technician i can share with you some websites that give you those "coupons" for your meds!

goodrx is the most well known one, but if i'm trying to find the cheapest price for a patient i compare it to scriptcycle, and use whichever is offering the best price. you just type in the medication (PLEASE make sure you're getting the right drug, dosage, and quantity) and your zip code and they will spit out some offers for you

some pharmacies may have their own discount card to compare to as well!

if you are getting a name brand medication, you can also look at the manufacturer's website to see if they offer any evouchers for you to use too

good luck out there 👍

[bitchesgetriches]

How to Pay Hospital Bills When You’re Flat Broke

[rayneydayss]

another one is singlecare.com, brought my duloxetine from $240 a month to $20

and there are coupons for hrt on there as well :) different options for different pharmacies

[hereissomething]

dollarfor.org saved my broke ass, it can save urs too

[chroniclesofchronicillness]

This makes so much sense

[random-fandom-place]

This accurately displays 'running on fumes' as well. Like, once you get to, say, 5% in your tank. Still 100% of your effort. This is such an amazing visual. Even knowing that my chronic pain impacts what I can do day vs. day, seeing this visual just really helps.

[penis-keeper]

You guys know how to travel in a car with your canes, right? You know where to put them so they don’t kill you in an accident? You’re not just holding them on your lap?

[penis-keeper]

For the record they go under your feet or under the seat. That’s the safest place for them except the trunk. Pls don’t let your mobility aid kill you in a freak accident

[sageinterlude]

I’ve been driving with my cane wrong the entire time 😃

[penis-keeper]

If this post saves even just one (1) person from ending up with a broken jaw/face/windshield I will be happy tbh

Nobody deserves to have to deal with maxillofacial surgeons or worse…. auto glass repair shops

[lillyofthewoods]

Love that they put “a sense of impending doom” as one of the symptoms of a heart attack, like girl, that’s just how it is to be alive these days, you’re gonna have to be more specific

[undeadhousewife]

This made me chuckle but after scrolling away I felt the need to come back to it.

Because as someone who has felt this I can not stress how different it actually is from anxiety. Which is saying a lot because I have a massive anxiety disorder.

I've only felt this twice in my life - once when I was going into kidney failure due to an infection and again when my body was going into shock due to dehydration and malnourishment due to GI issues - and I can not stress how much it saved my life. It's hard to even put it into words. It's not like a panic attack, or anxiety. It is a horrific gut turning feeling of absolute dread.

Especially if you have anxiety you'll know the difference honestly. It's so much worse. It's every cell in your body and your brain screaming that there's something horribly wrong in a way you've never felt. It's your brain screaming out that you are going to die in a way no panic attack has ever done before.

I can not stress how important it is to get yourself to the ER if you feel this way. Especially if your having other physical symptoms.

[naamahdarling]

This is amazing and incredibly helpful, oh my god. Thank you.

[vmohlere]

Seconding the above : I was going into shock from internal bleeding, and that sense of “something is gravely wrong” was entirely different from my day-to-day whirlwind of anxiety.

For me, it was very quiet. For me, there was a deep sense that I could just lie down on the floor and not have to ever get up again, no effort required.

That combined wrongness/relief was so weird and so unsettling that I drove myself to the ER.

The “impending” part is really key to that symptom, I think, based on my experience. It’s not the existential dread of late-stage capitalism grinding the world into nurdles. It’s a ghost crow on your shoulder whispering “it’s here, it’s now.”

[thebibliosphere]

Impending doom is also a feature of anaphylaxis, something I’m intimately familiar with as someone with mast cell dysfunction.

For me, its the overwhelming, near calm certainty of doom that distinguishes it from the jittery panic of “but something could go wrong.”

There’s no “what if?” There’s no room to question it. It just IS. And it’s very different from the “calm” of disassociation too. I’m not disassociated from myself when it happens. I’m probably actually the most present ever.

I’ve turned to doctors and told them calmly and with utter certainty “I am going to die” and the reaction that calm certainty gets is immediate intervention because doctors also recognize that stillness as the body not bothering to waste any time on fight or flight and just going straight to “death is imminent due to some internal failing, act accordingly.”

[chronicallycouchbound]

A Guide for Coming into Disability

Note: While this is meant to serve as a guide for people who are becoming physically disabled and people newly recognizing their existing experiences of disability (including chronic illness), I feel that this guide is helpful for anyone, disabled or abled. No guide is one size fits all, but I hope this can help supplement other resources that exist.

Recognizing Disability

The first aspect of coming into disability is conceptualizing what disability means for you. Some initial questions to consider are:

What is disability?

What does it mean to be disabled?

How do you identify disability in yourself or others?

Only you can define what these mean for yourself, but many definitions and models of disability exist.

Loss & Grief

As you begin to transition into a disabled body, the first sign of that change is often the experience of loss. Loss of ability, access to the world, hobbies, community, loved ones, and your sense of self are just some of the types of loss you might be experiencing. Additionally, when being a part of any marginalized community, you are now not only beginning to experience the trauma of discrimination that you’re personally facing but you are also exposed to a communal trauma of systemic marginalization.

Due to the ableist society we live in, every single person is internalizing ableism. Everything we see on the news, in movies, in classrooms, etc. is absorbed subconsciously to create a personalized narrative of the disabled experience. Weather or not that ableism is externalized doesn’t matter, because if you’re not actively dismantling internalized ableism and practing anti-ableism, then that ableism will hit you much harder when you transition into disability. The work to navigate this is constant, evolving and will change with time.

All of this is very heavy. Always unpacking, always processing, always grieving. But it does get easier to navigate, especially with the proper supports. To cope with this, I highly recommend seeking out appropriate support groups (many are online, Facebook, Discord, The Mighty are some great places to look) and considering grief counseling. Through this, remember to be gentle with yourself, cut off people if you need to, set boundaries, and do what you need to to support yourself and keep yourself safe.

Spoon Theory in Practice

A large portion of my disabled experience is simply just learning. Learning about my body, treatments, my limitations, and what I can still do. This dynamic learning often requires more language to explain complex concepts. This brings us to the spoon theory. If you don’t yet know about spoon theory, here’s the original essay by Christine Miserandino.

Spoon theory works to help explain the energy limitations of chronic illness and has been widely adopted by the greater disabled community. Essentially, it is a metaphor that uses spoons as a metric to showcase energy levels in a tangible form. Over time your spoons will change, different activities might require more or less spoons, and recharging your spoons may also evolve. This is why it’s important to use the concept of spoon theory to help you set boundaries with yourself and others.

For yourself, being able to identify your spoon levels and use them appropriately to ration energy can help you avoid falling into pitfalls like the “Boom-Bust Cycle” and better pace yourself. I put this into practice by creating lists rating activities by spoon levels. I have a master list of meals I can eat, categorized by how many spoons it usually takes to make the meal. This way, I can plan out in advance on low spoon days, like when I have PT, and know I won’t have the energy to cook a meal that takes three spoons to make, I can meal plan for the week and buy what I need for a one spoon meal that day. This can also be applied to things like chores and hobbies. I sort my to-do list by priority, and then by how many spoons it will take to do the activity. Knowing your spoon levels can assist in setting boundaries with others as well. I always have a standing appointment on Tuesdays, so I never make plans that day. I always ask for help with certain chores because even if I physically can get them done, I won’t have spoons for the rest of the day or even the week.

Accepting Disability

In order to cope with the loss of certain activities, finding accessible alternatives can go a long way. You might be able to find an adaptive way to still participate in a hobby, like adaptive basketball. There are also so many options for hobbies in the world, and you might be surprised by what works for you now! This is a good time to start to focus on what you can do, with adaptations, vs what you used to be able to/now can’t do.

Mobility aids are a beautiful tool. My advice is if you think that an aid might help you, you should at least try it! If it ends up not helping, or you don’t need it, you can always donate it. I also like to say (and my physical therapist likes to remind me) Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

And, of course, ask for help before your body demands it.

Disabled Liberation & Disabled Joy

If you have the spoons and time, you should prioritize learning about our history as a community (Crip Camp on Netflix is a great place to start) Additionally, you can learn about disability theory, models of disability, ugly laws, cripple punk movement, and our rights.

Disabled Joy is a concept that considers our joy to be a revolutionary act in and of itself. I use ‘joy’ here, rather than happiness, because while similar, happiness is based in the root word ‘hap’ meaning chance (as in mishap and happenstance), meaning that the experience itself is based in luck and external factors, and focus instead on the sensation associated with it– regardless of your situation, which is joy. Disabled joy looks like my partner sprinting while pushing me down the sidewalk with the wind in my face. It looks like a perfect day in Sims 4. It comes with safe foods and the healing power of accessible plauygrounds. You find it where it comes, and I hope you can find it in yourself.

Finding Community

The best part of the disabled experience, for me, is our thriving community. When it comes to community building, I always suggest online options first because they’re available 24/7 for most people, and you can reach community from your home. I’ve already mentioned online support groups, but also, online content creators are a great way to find community. If your social media following list is primarily able-bodied creators, especially ones who focus on activities that aren’t accessible to you, it can be really damaging to your mental health. This can help you to find friends who get what you're going through.

Self-advocacy and systemic advocacy resources from our peers and organizations can give you the tools and feel empowered to create change. Seeking resources by and for our community can be lifesaving. You’re reading one right now.

Welcome to the community.

♿️❤️ (wheelchair emoji, heart emoji)

[transman-badass]

I can't do much but maybe this will interest someone. This cookbook is by a classically trained autistic chef, made for people with sensory issues. It's sold 1/6th of its initial run because apparently no one wants to have an autistic person interviewed on TV.

Apparently it's also very funny.

Color Taste Texture by Matthew Broberg-Moffitt: 9780593538593 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

An accessible family cookbook that offers solutions rather than tricks to empower the food-averse, autistic, and picky eater, with 46 recipe

Spread this around! I bet someone here can use this.

[reasonsforhope]

More info from the link:

"An accessible family cookbook that offers solutions rather than tricks to empower the food-averse, autistic, and picky eater, with 46 recipes. This much-needed cookbook combines tips and techniques with a dash of understanding about food aversion and how to help your kids—and yourself—cook beautiful meals in an empowering way, and is a groundbreaking resource for anyone who has ever been called “picky” or “discerning.” Learn how to alter the texture or taste profile of a dish, or even fit it within a specific palette with a unique color-coded guide. Delicious, nutritious, and easily tailored recipes (including for gluten-free and vegan eaters) include:

the perfect smashed cheeseburger

Italian sausage and potato soup

the best omelet

stuffed focaccia 

chocolate pinwheels

and dozens more

Professional chef Matthew Broberg-Moffitt’s advice is broken down by category (The Five Tastes, Texture, Color, Aroma, Presentation, and Plating) in order to address each and every aspect of food aversion, and a Food Preference Profile and Worksheet is included for you and your child to quickly identify and summarize their preferences. Instead of leading to mistrust by disguising or slipping in foods your kids don’t want to eat, this cookbook supports caretakers in a way that maintains a healthy relationship with food, and a joyful, less stressful experience around the table."

[ms-demeanor]

Okay so when I got sucked into the phantom zone last week while watching youtube shorts a lot of the content it fed me was ADHD tips and a lot of it was either useless for me or redundant but there was one REALLY good tip about taking breaks that wasn't about taking breaks it was about RETURNING from breaks and the tip is: when you are about to go on a break, before you step away from your task (work, craft project, school stuff) decide what you'll do as the first thing when you sit back down at your task and set up your workspace to do that thing.

That means you've got an easy re-entry point to go back to doing the thing instead of sitting back down and having to make a decision or having to reorient from break mode to task mode. You have pre-reoriented and can just go back into working mode.

I've been doing this by circling what my next task on my tasklist is and bringing up the windows that I'll need for the task before I step away from my desk.

Brilliant hack, works great for me, hope it works great for you as well.

[ms-demeanor]

Oh also some knitters do this thing where the second you finish making one sock you cast on the second sock and do at least a few stitches so that you don't get killed by inertia and have one sock finished and one sock never started forever.

A while back there was a Tumblr post about doing the same thing while writing fiction - when you finish one chapter don't call it quits for the day, write a sentence or two if the next chapter do that you aren't starting from a blank page, you're continuing what you were doing before.

The same thing applies to work and homework and housework. If you finish your english homework *don't* decide that's the perfect moment to take a break, get out your algebra textbook and do a problem or two first.

Initiating tasks is a kind of executive function, but sometimes executive function is in short supply and you can bank some effort by continuing one task from another instead of having harsh breaks between tasks.

[porcupine-girl]

This was so helpful when working on my dissertation. I had one document whose sole purpose was for me to record the time I stopped working, the last thing I did, and the next thing to do when I started again. Saved me from so much inertia and decision paralysis!

[spaceshipsandpurpledrank]

[ghostdaartist]

Well damn

[glitchedcatto]

every time i hear of chiropractors, i remember what happened to @thebibliosphere's neck

[thebibliosphere]

Second neck MRI on Thursday to see what the damage is ✌️

Spoiler alert: based on my symptoms, probably not good.

It’s been six years and my skull still doesn’t sit properly on top of my cervical vertebrae.

[tedrakitty]

What happened with your neck? @thebibliosphere

Hopefully the prognosis after your MRI is more positive than anticipated 🤞

[thebibliosphere]

Chiropractor adjusted it several years ago and tore all the soft tissue on the right side of my neck/shoulder. I was lucky I didn’t die or have a stroke even if it’s left me with other lifelong consequences.

And the second MRI showed spinal cord compression and a bunch of other nerve damage that definitely isn’t doing me any favors, so I repeat again for anyone who thinks the potential damage from chiropractic injuries isn’t all that bad:

Don’t let them touch your fucking neck.

You might die.

[theweirdwideweb]

Dudes healthcare is so fake. My ADHD meds are $940 without insurance. But they gave me a website of "coupons" which straight up looks like a scam website, and I got it today for $60! Just a coupon from a random website and it was $900 cheaper. America, I am confusion!! America explain!!

[theweirdwideweb]

For all my uninsured judys out there it's for Walgreens only: walgreens.rxsense.com

[theweirdwideweb]

[handsmotif]

as a pharmacy technician i can share with you some websites that give you those "coupons" for your meds!

goodrx is the most well known one, but if i'm trying to find the cheapest price for a patient i compare it to scriptcycle, and use whichever is offering the best price. you just type in the medication (PLEASE make sure you're getting the right drug, dosage, and quantity) and your zip code and they will spit out some offers for you

some pharmacies may have their own discount card to compare to as well!

if you are getting a name brand medication, you can also look at the manufacturer's website to see if they offer any evouchers for you to use too

good luck out there 👍

[bitchesgetriches]

How to Pay Hospital Bills When You’re Flat Broke

[rayneydayss]

another one is singlecare.com, brought my duloxetine from $240 a month to $20

and there are coupons for hrt on there as well :) different options for different pharmacies

[hereissomething]

dollarfor.org saved my broke ass, it can save urs too

[possessionisamyth]

If you live in the USA and you're pleading for donations to pay your rent, bills, or get food then dial 211! Please dial 211 before the last minute!

It's a toll free service with people who will help you find programs in your community to pay those bills, find food, and find housing! They will give you numbers to call so you can get help.

It is not 100% foolproof. Their job is to direct you to a program they believe will help your current issue, but it's still a step up from praying random strangers online will give you enough cash before a deadline! The added benefit of these community programs, which get funded by the local government most of the time, is if there are more people using them then they can get more money to help more people.

You're not taking resources from other people if you use your community services. Your taxes pay for them. Use them.

Dial 211 first to see if they can help, and if for some reason they can't, then make your donation posts!

https://www.211.org/

[dcmcboxers]

Hi I work for my state's 211 service. It really breaks my heart how many people only know to call us at the last minute. 211's can provide a whole wealth of resources to use before things ever get to a cut off utility, eviction, or homelessness!

I can't speak for all 211's but most should also have a website detailing all the agencies in their database. if you don't like phone calls, this can be something to reference instead.

If you don't have health insurance but you need to see a doctor, reference 211! We list clinics that provide free or discounted general care, vision, and dental services to low income households and people without insurance! Many hospitals also have financial aid policies that can severely reduce your bill if you had an expensive procedure!

If you're stuck in a dead end job or need educational resources reference 211! There are a lot of programs focused on providing basic adult education as well as trade skills or other high demand fields! State governments are generally more interested in funneling people into work than providing benefits, but you can still use this to your advantage especially if you have some form of disability but are still able to work. That includes if you're neurodiverse or have mental health issues! Most of these programs are extremely underutilized.

If you believe you qualify for public benefits but the bureaucracy of the process is in your way, reference 211! There are agencies specifically geared towards helping people obtain the benefits they qualify for- for free!

If you need help with your taxes-

If you need help finding a pro bono lawyer-

If you need help finding affordable housing/section 8 housing-

If you need help finding food pantries-

If you need help paying for your prescriptions-

If you need help obtaining disability aids or assistive technology-

If you need help finding transportation options-

If you need help following a natural or personal disaster (like a home fire)-

If you need help repairing a home you or your family owns or it needs modifications to be accessible-

If you need Queer resources-

Reference your 211!!!!!

I had no idea what 211 was before working for it but I wish I had. I've learned so much about what resources are actually available to the community even in a ho hum area of the country like my state. I've saved my partner literally thousands of dollars just from the medical resources I've gathered.

Not enough young people know about or utilize these services but they are there for you!

P. S.

This isn't an intended use of 211, but I like to reference the agency listings when I look for jobs. Many of the agencies listed are non-profits which, while they certainly are not perfect, generally have lower barriers of entry to decent paying jobs with benefits. The work environments tend to be much kinder and at least pretend to be forward thinking. You're more likely to find jobs without as many people applying as well, especially if they're only advertising their positions through their own website.

[sameenbyhat]

Homepage

Get help paying bills, finding food, and locating other resources near you. Call 211 now for confidential help from a caring expert.

[tea-and-spoons]

What happens when... I get a Holter monitor?

A Holter monitor is a device that sticks onto your chest and measures your heart rhythm for a day or two.  It doesn’t put any electricity into your body, it just measures the electricity your heart makes when it beats.

You’ll usually go to the cardiologist to have the monitor put on- this should be a short appointment, about 15 minutes.  They’ll explain how to take care of the monitor, put it on, and that’s it

There are a few different types of monitor you might be given.  The older kind has between 3 and 6 stickers on your chest with wires on them that connect to a box you wear on a lanyard or clipped to your clothes.

The newer ones have a small box on a sticky patch that goes directly on your chest.  Depending on the style, it might be a square that goes under your left collarbone, or a longer strip that goes up the middle of your chest.

Especially for the newer monitors, they’re super sticky and the person putting it on will have to push firmly when putting it on.  If you have sensitive skin or allergies to adhesives, you can have a patch test done ahead of time to see if you’ll be okay with the monitor.  You likely won’t have to put a gown on to have the monitor put on, they’ll just have you lie back on the table and lift your shirt.  If you’re wearing a tight sports bra or binder, you may need to take that off and change into a gown, but you can put it back on as soon as they’re done.  You can’t get the monitor wet, so I would recommend taking your shower before your appointment.  No lotion though, or the monitor won’t stick well.

Somewhere on the device, there will be a button for you to press when you notice symptoms.  The doctor will look at all the information from the device, but pay extra attention to times where you pressed the button.  You’ll also be asked to keep a record of anything you did while wearing that might have affected your heart rate, like exercising or watching a scary movie.

For the most part, you can just go about your regular day while wearing the monitor.  Just try not to get too sweaty, and don’t schedule an MRI for while you’re wearing it.  If it starts to peel, you can use medical tape to keep the edges down.  A shirt with a high neckline will hide the device pretty well, although if you have a flat chest, the bump or wires will be more noticeable.

Once it’s been however long your doctor wants you to wear it, you can take the device off.  It’s a lot stickier than your average band aid, so it helps to have an adhesive removing wipe or baby oil to loosen it.  You’ll either have to drop the device off at the doctor’s office, or they’ll give you a box to mail it back.

You’ll find out about the results at a follow up appointment with your doctors, unless there’s something urgent, in which case they’ll contact you sooner.  Some devices even send live information to your doctor so they can keep an eye out for anything that needs immediate help.

You got this! 💙