I have two chronic illnesses. Hashimoto, an autoimmune disorder affecting the thyroid and endometriosis, a VERY painful under researched condition that for me affects the lower belly.

I’ve researched the shit out of both conditions in a way that autistic people with a biology degree do. I follow the TH1/TH2 immune imbalance research to support my immune system via foods that balance this (avoid peanuts, mushrooms, melissa (the plant, I hope thats the English name), eat tomatoes, onions, turmeric, garlic). Also gluten triggers my autoimmune response. No gluten for me.

As a result my thyroid looks A LOT healthier than it should be at this stage and still has retained a good bit of functionality. Which is a minor miracle.

For endometriosis I’m lucky enough that the visanne pill works for me. That in addition to avoiding estrogen in food means I’m nearly pain free. There’s some people for whom nothing helps, they’ve had dozens of surgeries and they still often enough can’t think straight due to pain. Being comparatively pain free is at least a medium sized miracle.

That wasn’t my point.

Germany enters the chat.

Personally I find it a lot more disturbing that intersex babies are still assgined a binary gender by a doctor and then get surgery to shape their genitals. The parents are often scaremongered and pressured into consenting and the affected people don’t know it was done to them until firmly into adulthood. It’s often a sterilising surgery too.

If you are against doctors doing gender changing surgery, please start with the babies? But oh no! Then the argument that there are only two genders falls apart.

True. But I’d also like to see a reduction of seemingly general purpose down voting. There seem to be users who do nothing but down vote everything in sight.

Or malice.

It depends a lot on the situation. My exparents lived with my paternal exgrandparents until I was 8. Completely seperate households tho. Just in the same house.

If theres a partner and kids it’s important that everyone negotiates boundaries and communicates well. If it’s one household the chores and finances need to be shared in a way that works and so on.

Personally I moved out as early as I could because these people are abusive. I find it awe inspiring that you manage to coexist peacefully when everyone is an adult. If it works for you it works for you. In many cultures living with your parents is normal. I think worrying about what other people think, those that won’t pay your rent and don’t interact with your family isn’t productive. You’re the one who has to live with the decisions you make.

If this person doesn’t have white skin, isn’t christian or gender conforming there’s a whole host of other horror stories that apply tho.

Jokes on you. Now you buy twice as much and neither likes it. 😂😂

flicks tongue

You and me both.

In Europe the US healthcare system is seen as a joke and medieval. Same for most social services I’m the US. Like somebody else said I stopped feeling sympathy a while ago.

Oh dodo understands. She frequently attempts to burn her whiskers because runny nose. Which got massively better since we started infrared. And by now she also understands that it’s pain relief. She seeks out warm spots a lot more since this started. 💚

Its an infrared lamp. As a fellow chronically ill person I’ve found accupressure and binaural beats to help with some issues. Wish you as little pain as possible!

Oh intresting. Thanks!

Do you also shine the light on the wrong body part? Its the weirdest thing. She also gets chiropractic treatment but her insistence that the warmth has to go to her belly really flabbergasts me.

🤣

Darn. The jerboa app really is a pain to upload from.

I find my perspective changing a bit as I age. As a species I still think we are a net negative, at the very least since industrialisation started. But no cog in the wheel individual holds responsibility for the species. The big decision makers, the big polluters, yes that’s different. And I think it’s our duty to hold them accountable as much as we can. Obviously the system is stacked against accountability. Difficult position to be in and no easy answers.

On an individual level tho there are also a LOT of humans who do a lot of good. Collecting plastic, renaturalising wilderness, combating the various poverty related issues, improving medical procedures, advocating for human rights, inventing new ways to connect and learn… There’s a very long list.

For myself, I’m chronically ill. I can do some limited waste reduction, attempt as ethical a consumption as possible and love my rescue cat. I don’t have the energy for much more. But I’ve found it helps to follow people and focus on projects that do good rather than what can’t be helped. If you have the ability and capacity to volunteer or donate all the better. Holding yourself accountable and living the best life you can life is really all you have control over after all.

Mine does that too sometimes. She’s a good normal weight but sometimes she sits just weird and looks spherical. It’s the weirdest thing.