Fuckin' Finally
FYI to sick or disabled folks and those who assist or care for them: Simplicity patterns has a new line of adaptive sewing patterns. Designs include tops with port access, clothing with velcro closures, bags and cushions for mobility aids, bibs, chemo hats, and more.
I’m excited about these because they are the first patterns of this kind I’ve seen anywhere. And Simplicity patterns are great for beginning sewists, with very clear step by step instructions and illustrations.
Patterns can be purchased here: https://simplicity.com/simplicity/adaptive/
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I hate having functional weakness. I can deal with it in my arms and legs, but I absolutely hate it when it is in my jaw.
I can't talk, eat, or drink and when people talk to me, I seem rude. (Unless I'm with someone who knows about it.)
It drives me nuts.
Have I told y’all about my husband’s Fork Theory? If I did already, pretend I didn’t, I’m an old.
So the Spoon Theory is a fundamental metaphor used often in the chronic pain/chronic illness communities to explain to non-spoonies why life is harder for them. It’s super useful and we use that all the time. But it has a corollary. You know the phrase, “Stick a fork in me, I’m done,” right? Well, Fork Theory is that one has a Fork Limit, that is, you can probably cope okay with one fork stuck in you, maybe two or three, but at some point you will lose your shit if one more fork happens. A fork could range from being hungry or having to pee to getting a new bill or a new diagnosis of illness. There are lots of different sizes of forks, and volume vs. quantity means that the fork limit is not absolute. I might be able to deal with 20 tiny little escargot fork annoyances, such as a hangnail or slightly suboptimal pants, but not even one “you poked my trigger on purpose because you think it’s fun to see me melt down” pitchfork.
This is super relevant for neurodivergent folk. Like, you might be able to deal with your feet being cold or a tag, but not both. Hubby describes the situation as “It may seem weird that I just get up and leave the conversation to go to the bathroom, but you just dumped a new financial burden on me and I already had to pee, and going to the bathroom is the fork I can get rid of the fastest.”
Everyone is preparing me for the day I get better.
No one is preparing me for when it's not.
I don't just drop it hella low...
I just drop
So I just had blood drawn and it wasn't a lot taken. When I left the lab, it took mabie ten steps before I had the worst and scariest visual blackout I have ever had. It was so intense that I could hardly stand and I think if I had been up any longer, I would have passed out. I felt cold all over but was sweating and I couldn't see a thing. Instead of just seeing black, a cloud of white ended up appearing. I have no idea what happened, but I am really shaken.