#possible multiple sclerosis

[characteristiclizard]

Could anyone share their personal experience with pediatric (specifically teenage) multiple sclerosis?

We've done a *lot* of research, and we think we might have it/might be developing it. Currently trying to push for a doctor's appointment, but our parent has to make that decision so we're just waiting for whenever that happens

Thank y'all

(to prevent any confusion, I am not self diagnosing multiple sclerosis/using this to self diagnose, I'm just slightly anxious and hyper fixating)

[pleaseshootthejester]

Very few people irl know I've got MS cus I've noticed how differently I get treated when I tell people so I stopped telling people, only two family members and one friend know

And that was fine when my symptoms were like, numbness and blurry vision, maybe a slight weakness in one leg occasionally

But now I have an awful tremor and I can't hold things cus my grip is gone, I can't walk in a straight line and I fall over often, when I do walk "normally" I don't cus muscle weakness has given me a very noticeable limp, I no longer remember anything and I'm regularly in so much pain I can't go out

And I feel awful cus friends who I'm very close to are worried n I know have to admit "yeah I've not been truthful with you, you don't actually know me like you think you do, surprise :)))))" like FUCK

[flock-of-cassowaries]

Huh… I’m pretty sure I’m just doing it because I’m still processing the experience of (briefly) losing the ability to walk several years ago, and of knowing it may well happen again in the future.

(Multiple Sclerosis. I’m actually doing really well, seven years out - touch wood - but it was a terrifying diagnosis at the time, because of family history. I’ve been really lucky.)

But yeah.. sorry, blorbos.

In my defence… you’ve both been very naughty in-canon. What with the whole “meaningfully undermining democracy and endangering many millions of people for personal gain” and (checks notes) “cannibalistic serial murder”.

Though, I will say, in my experience, there’s nothing quite like a health crisis that brings with it startling, maybe-permanent, maybe-not disability to knock the wind out of your ego and make you humbly reconsider a lot of your assumptions about yourself, and the path you’re on in life.

no no. you don't get it. the reason I injure my blorbos until they can't walk is because that's the only way they'll ever let someone else carry them. the reason I curse them to be sick and feverish is so that they'll finally open up about their emotions while delirious. the reason I force them to overexert themselves to the point of exhaustion is so that when they pass out they can finally rest.

I'm doing this for their own good.

[millers-girl]

a little sliver

a Dr. Jack Abbot one-shot (The Pitt)

pairing: Jack Abbot x f!reader

summary: the fear of being diagnosed with the very disease that took your mother's life keeps you away from the hospital – until a cut on your hand brings you in, and a certain ER cowboy keeps you coming back.

warnings/tags: slow burn, hurt/comfort, age gap, serious health condition, medical anxiety

word count: 4.9k

a/n: in my angsty era, blame my hormones

You hadn’t looked up once from your shaking hands, not since you’d sat down. The fluorescent lights above made your skin look worse – washed out, tinged with a sickly pale hue. But it was the tremor your eyes were fixed on – slight, controlled, like your body was already beginning to whisper the secret and would soon shout it from the rooftops.

You barely even glanced at the doctor who escorted you back through the ED. Didn’t glance at the exam room door, didn’t care what the table looked like before perching yourself on the edge. 

Dr. Shen was kind. Gentle voice, competent hands. He didn’t comment on the tremor, not right away. Just asked you the procedural questions. 

“What brings you in today?” You dropped a glass and cut your hand rushing to pick up the pieces.

“Why did you wait so long to come in?” You thought you’d picked all the glass out. It didn’t hurt much.

“Have you noticed any muscle-twitching or stiffness? Not from the cut.

Now that response caught his attention.

Your voice held that flatness people only got when the weight was bone-deep, nearly crushing them.

He thought he caught the tremor when he began examining your hand but it was so slight, barely there, that he figured it might’ve just been a nervous tick.

But it wasn’t. 

You couldn’t control it. Your muscles twitched. Your grip had weakened, just the slightest. These subtle changes, in turn, caused a spike in irritability, aimed at whoever was in your line of sight. 

All in the last three days.

Independently, none of these symptoms were too worrying. But combined, it made him wary.

He ran through the possibilities.

A stress-related tremor – though you hadn’t been burnout or fatigued lately.

Caffeine overuse – you were a tea drinker. 

Multiple sclerosis – you didn’t have any vision changes or numbness. 

Hyperthyroidism – he sent your bloodwork to the lab to check your TSH levels, but it was unlikely as you weren’t presenting other symptoms.

“I don’t think it’s neurological but I’d like to bring in one of our senior attendings to take a look. Dr. Abbot’s got an eye for that kind of thing.” 

You nodded faintly, in the way people do when the words go in one ear and out the other.

Shen left for a moment, and you dropped your head to stare at your hand.

Your fingers wouldn't stop. The motion was subtle but consistent. It frustrated you to no end, especially at how familiar it all looked. How similar.

You pressed your thumb into your palm, hard enough to leave a crescent-shaped dent in your skin.

Another minute passed. Then, the door opened. You didn’t look up right away, just registered Dr. Shen’s rushed footsteps, followed by the sound of steady, deliberate ones.

Dr. Abbot introduced himself in a clipped voice, his tone lower and controlled. He sounded older, wasted no time – took one look at you and already knew it was more than just a hand injury. 

When you looked up at him, you saw that he was tall and broad-shouldered. Black scrubs, with a long sleeve rolled up underneath. Close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair. 

Expression completely unreadable. 

He listened to you as you told him about your injury and symptoms. Didn’t interrupt, just watched you with unnerving precision. You knew he already suspected it was more than it seemed.

“Can I see?” he finally asked. 

You held out your hand and he took it without hesitation, fingers cool and sure. His touch was light but efficient. He palpated gently along the edge of your wrist, then traced the line of the cut. 

His eyes flicked back to your face. He noticed the fingernails you’d bitten, the raw skin at your cuticles. Your deepset, weary eyes, indicating sleeplessness.

He looked longer than he needed to, never saying anything, but you felt the weight of his gaze.

Dr. Shen, standing off to the side now, began listing what he’d already ruled out and what he wanted to test for. 

Dr. Abbot added, “Could be Parkinson’s, FNS, SCA, maybe Wilson’s – ” He paused, glancing over at you before doing a double-take, specifically at the bruise on your upper arm. “How’d you get that?” 

You shrugged, glancing at the bruise. “It’s dumb,” you muttered.

“How?” 

“I lost my balance and stumbled into my bookshelf the other day.” 

The way you said it was quiet, reserved. 

It made Abbot pause. His expression didn’t shift, but you saw something tighten in his posture. His voice changed – got flatter.

���Shen, let’s add a full neuro workup. MRI, metabolic panel. And order genetic testing.” 

You knew what he was circling even before he said it.

Shen, confused, asked, “For—?”

He looked at you again, and you answered for him, voice thin. “Huntington’s.”

Abbot’s eyes met yours, brows quirking slightly. He nodded once. No clipboard in hand, no tablet, but you could tell he was already categorizing, recalling data, mapping outcomes. Like you’d done for the past ten years.

You had this faraway look in your eyes, like you were already accepting your fate to be a brutal one. Like you already had it and now it was just a waiting game. Like you were already so used to bad news. Silently, he frowned to himself. You were so young; you shouldn’t have to be.

“Which parent?” he asked, eyes narrowing.

“Mom.” 

“How old was she when she was diagnosed?” 

“Forty-five.” 

There was a long pause before his next question. “Have you ever been tested?” 

You shook your head. The tremor felt worse when you did.

“Why not?” His voice wasn’t judgmental, but it wasn’t soft either. 

You looked away, shrugging. “I’m here now. Test me.”

The silence that followed was thick. You didn’t fill it. Neither did he.

Your words landed heavier than you meant. You weren’t trying to shock him by acting so blasé. You were just… tired. And, now, the idea of waiting for your body to betray you felt worse than knowing for sure. You were so far gone already – you didn’t have much fight left.

Abbot studied you, like he was trying to match what you’d said with the weight you carried. Something about the way you sat, arms folded protectively, eyes staring into the distance, gave him pause.

Eventually, he turned to Shen and gave him a short nod.

“We’ll order the bloodwork and genetic panel,” Shen said gently, almost apologetically, before exiting the exam room.

Abbot lingered for just a second longer than he needed to. Then he left, footsteps even and measured, like everything about him.

You didn’t watch him go. Just looked down at your hand again.

Still shaking.

Between that first visit and the time it would take for the genetic testing results to come back, you had plenty more reasons to return to the ED. 

And Dr. Jack Abbot was there every time. 

He always pretended it was a coincidence – half-shrugged when the residents teased him, brushed it off when Jess, the night charge nurse, smirked and said, “Your girl’s back.” It didn’t make Jack smile. But he never bothered correcting her either.

One of those days was more memorable than the others – the lab required a further test to conclude with certainty whether you had the mutation for Huntington’s. That test was a lumbar puncture, invasive and high-stakes. 

“I don’t want to do it,” you decided, voice flat, looking between Jack and the neurologist, Dr. Mehta. “I mean, there’s other ways to get what you need, right?”

Dr. Mehta glanced at Jack. He didn’t say a word, just stood with his hands in his pockets, eyes on you, waiting. 

“You don’t have to do it,” Jack said eventually. “But if you do… the results will have a higher accuracy.” He saw you squirm in your seat, and added, “I’ll stay.” 

You looked at him then. He wasn’t trying to talk you down, wasn’t trying to fix it. He was just there.

Quiet. Immovable. Present.

When the needle pressed into your spine, you didn’t flinch. Not really. But your fingers curled into the sheets, searching for something to anchor to. And then – his hand slipped between you and the sheet. Warm, calloused. Grounding.

When the worst of it was over and your body stopped shaking, you met Jack’s eyes and whispered, “Thanks.”

He didn’t answer. Just gave your fingers the barest squeeze.

Your other ED visits, though never fun, were never as bad as the lumbar.

Once, you showed up with a sprained ankle from a minor fall coming down the stairs. You told Jack you were just distracted, looking at your phone, but he noticed how you kept your weight off your left leg, almost as if your balance still wasn’t right. 

You were quieter that night, avoiding his eyes. He didn’t ask. Just brought you a snack from the vending machine to make you feel better, the same one he’d seen tucked in your bag that first night you met.

Another time, you cut yourself shaving. It was high up on your thigh, an unusual spot and uncommon angle. Again, you shrugged it off, but Jack didn’t buy it. He cleaned the wound, stitched you up, and in return, you learned his coffee order and bought him a cup as a thank you.

The third time, it was worse. You’d passed out in a coffee shop after not sleeping for three days. When paramedics brought you in, humiliated and defensive, Jack didn’t have to ask why – he could see the abstract formulae sketched on the edge of a crumpled napkin in your pocket, ink bleeding from sweat.

He tried to get the story out of you, but you clammed up. So he let it go. Put you on IV antihistamines, ordered fluids, made sure the light over your bed was dimmed. Hours later, as he passed by in the middle of his shift, he noticed you’d fallen asleep in the hospital bed, limbs awkwardly curled, blanket half-off. 

He adjusted it, pulling it up over your shoulders, careful not to wake you. 

In the morning, he was surprised to find you on the roof, in his spot, where he sometimes went to clear his head.

You sat on the ledge, a hoodie he’d lent you pulled tight around your shoulders, cup of tea in hand, half-empty. 

You startled when he walked out, shoulders visibly relaxing when you saw his familiar figure.

He sat beside you, thighs nearly touching, and you two just talked for a while. Not about the big metaphorical storm cloud clearly floating over you, but about things that could distract you: memories of your mom, stories he had from when he served in the military, a patient he couldn’t save last night – guilt he didn’t tell anyone else. 

He didn’t cry, didn’t even look at you. Just spoke until the words ran out.

And you listened. Leaned your head on his shoulder, offered him what was left of your tea. 

Neither of you spoke for a while after that, just silently watching the sunrise.

After that last visit, something shifted. Jack started checking the patient board at the beginning of every shift. Not consciously, not at first – but there was a moment each time, just a flicker of anticipation. More often than not, your name was up there. 

While attending to whatever injury you had that day, you two made small talk over bad coffee and overpriced vending machine snacks. It was awkward and brief, until it wasn’t. Until you started to become obsessed with your symptoms, always having the same grim theory about what was causing them.

“It’s getting worse,” you revealed after the fifth visit, finally having the courage to say it aloud. “I mean, it’s only been a few weeks. How could it be getting worse?” 

Jack’s gaze dropped to your chart, even though he’d already memorized it by this point. “It’s likely psychosomatic,” he said calmly. “You’re probably just stressed about the results. That can trigger tremors. Or – depressive episodes… I mean – have you been feeling hopeless? Uninterested in things you used to care about?” 

You blinked up at him like he’d grown an extra head. 

“Let me think,” you said, sarcasm thick in your throat. “I’m waiting on test results that could very well tell me I’m dying a quick death. Oh, but not before I lose my memory, motor function, and will to live. So yeah, Jack, I’d say I’m a little uninterested in anything else at the moment.”

That was new, too. You’d started calling him by his first name. It began as a joke, when you overheard Shen do it once, then it just stuck. 

And Jack never corrected you either. Besides, he’d seen the worst parts of you – this wasn’t just a brief professional encounter anymore.

Now, he watched you huff, crossing your arms over your chest – angry in that heartbreaking way he’d come to know so well.

In your chart, he quietly marked down an increase in mood lability. “Well, aren’t you just a ball of joy today,” he murmured, trying to crack the tension.

You instead transformed it into anxious energy. “The other day, I came across this 2017 paper – the Neuron study out of UCSD, where they tracked prodromal HD markers before symptom onset. And they found cognitive changes—subtle, but measurable—years before motor symptoms even started…” 

You swallowed hard, looking anywhere but at him.

“I mean, what if – what if that’s happening to me? What if I’m already on that path and I don’t even know it? What if I’ve already gone too far to come back?” 

The room went silent.

Jack looked up from your chart, and something in his expression changed. His posture froze, brows faintly lifting.

“You read that paper?” he asked softly. You shrugged, but the motion was stiff. “That paper changed how I evaluate prodromal cases. It’s dense. Most people never get past the abstract. But you… read it. Understood it.” 

The air between you suddenly thickened with everything that wasn’t being said.

He didn’t press, but you explained anyway. Maybe because the look he gave you wasn’t pity, like anyone else would’ve. Wasn’t sympathy. It was parity.

“I was at MIT when my mom got diagnosed,” you revealed.

Jack’s brows furrowed. “MIT?”

“It’s a school,” you shrugged. “In Boston.” 

He tilted his head. “I know what MIT is, kid.” You didn’t smile at that, nor meet his eyes. He waited, then asked, “What happened?” 

“I was studying bioengineering.” Your voice cracked, and you let out a dry laugh. “The universe has a funny sense of humor… Anyway, when she got sick, I started reading everything. Every case report, every preclinical trial. I used all my resources and funding and time and energy just to try and understand, conduct my own research… try to find a cure.” 

You drew a shaky breath. 

“I became obsessed with it. It was all I did, all I could think about, for seven years… and she died anyway.” Your eyes glistened, but nothing fell, not yet.

“And – and I’m not sick yet. Right? But the waiting is almost worse than a confirmed diagnosis. Like, there’s this little sliver of hope that maybe I don’t have it. And thinking about that sliver makes me sick. Because the odds aren’t in my favor. I probably do have it, and it’s gonna eat me like it ate her. And I won’t be able to stop it… again.”

With that, you left the exam room in a fog, before he could even blink. Didn’t wait for him to call you back – just walked, blindly. Found yourself in an empty stairwell on the abandoned sixth floor, slumping down in the corner, hands in your hair, breath shallow. Shaking. Finally sobbing.

Meanwhile, Jack was staring at the spot you’d just occupied on the exam table. He shut his eyes for a moment, sighed, and when he opened them again, he went looking for you with a heavy heart.

He found you in record time, after Shen told him he’d seen you heading towards the staircase. 

He didn’t touch you – just sat beside you, quiet, knees pulled up. 

He didn’t speak for a long while.

He watched the waterline of your eyes, how the tears couldn’t stop falling. How quiet you stayed, even as your hand began to tremble again.

His hand finally reached out, thumb brushing away the tears, even as new ones quickly replaced them. He offered a tissue.

“You’re right about the cognitive markers in the Neuron study,” he eventually said gently, “But that cohort had a very specific, very rare mutation profile. One that you’ve shown no indication in sharing.” 

You looked up sharply. He held your gaze. “The odds are in your favor. The Neuron study is just one. There are hundreds more that show how a positive mindset changes physiology. Having that little sliver of hope, it’s enough to change your brain chemistry. Enough to weigh the scales in your favor, diagnosis or not.”

Your hand twitched again.

He steadied it with his own. 

In that touch—warm and comforting palm over yours—he realized that the pair of you were two sides of the same coin. Both wired for control, science, self-sacrifice. 

He looked at you—really looked—and something in his chest shifted. Whatever this was, it wasn’t born from pity or obligation, but understanding. Matching scars.

You let out a shaky laugh, brushing the tear off your cheek with your free hand. “Is your bedside manner always this… emotionally fulfilling?” 

“You’re impossible,” he muttered, shaking his head. 

With the ends of your lips tugged upwards ever so slightly, you replied. “No, just a ball of joy.” 

Then, something you couldn’t have ever predicted happened – he laughed.

Not a huff or a grunt, like you usually got. An actual, honest-to-god laugh. The sound caught you completely off guard. It was warm, low, a little raspy. Like he didn’t do it much.

He looked different like that. Younger, less haunted. Like the weight he always carried slipped for a second.

And then it hit you – hard, sudden, uninvited. You wanted to see it again. Wanted to make him laugh like that again.

The thought lodged itself somewhere between your ribs and never left. 

And the sound of his laugh – it made that little sliver in your heart widen just the slightest. 

Jack felt that tiny warmth flicker inside him, too – but it brought something darker with it. Fear: that caring too much meant opening a door he maybe wasn't ready to walk through.

Beneath that warmth was the weight of your secret – the truth he’d just discovered, the one you hadn’t shared in a week.

And it terrified him.

So, the next time you saw him, he buried that laughter, that hope, deep under the surface.

You could immediately tell something was off.

You didn’t know what exactly – it wasn’t obvious. He still said hello when he entered the room, still glanced at your chart, still examined your reflexes.

But something was off. 

He didn’t meet your eyes for more than a few seconds at a time. Didn’t linger like he used to. Didn’t ask how you were sleeping or if you’d eaten today. Didn’t crack a dry, witty joke when you made some half-hearted comment. 

Just gave you the clinical version of himself – the stripped-down, by-the-book version that everyone else got.

You told yourself that you were imagining it. That it had been a long week, and you were sleep-deprived and anxious and inventing things that weren’t there. 

But even Jess noticed.

“Did you guys fight or something?” she whispered while re-taping your IV. “He’s been weird all day.” 

You shook your head, confused. “No, I mean – we barely talked.” 

What you didn’t know was that Jack had figured it out.

He knew.

Of course he did.

You’d gotten the envelope a week ago. The results – a definitive answer to the question that had threatened to split you down the middle since the moment you first walked through the ED doors. 

And you never told him.

Never brought it up.

No, you came in for something else entirely – what was it, dehydration? Maybe just another phantom symptom you were too scared to ignore. And he scanned your name on the board and felt… different. Like the space between him and your name on the board had increased.

And suddenly, he couldn’t stop thinking about the envelope. 

You kept it tucked away in your bag, the edges worn and creased from being handled but never opened. Sometimes, when you sat down, you could almost feel it burning through the leather of your purse – a silent promise of everything you weren’t ready to face yet.

And Jack knew it had come. There was a date, a system, a rhythm to those tests – hell, he’d even tracked yours down. It was delivered a week ago. And you hadn’t said a word.

And that did something to him. 

Frustrated him. Scared him. Hurt him in a way he didn’t have the right to be hurt. 

You were practically his patient. He wasn’t entitled to anything. 

But the truth settled under his skin like a splinter he couldn’t dig out: he wanted to know. Not because of your file, or because of pure professional concern. 

But because he cared.

More than he probably should, if he was being honest with himself.

And caring that much was dangerous. Unprofessional. Messy.

He realized it as he stood near the nurse’s station, after he’d just lost another patient. And it widened the hole in his heart.

“You alright?” Jess asked quietly, glancing up from her computer.

He hesitated, then shook his head slightly. “I don’t know if I can keep doing this… being this involved.” 

She gave him a small, knowing nod. “Sometimes, you have to protect yourself. It’s not giving up – it’s just keeping balance.”

He let out a slow breath, the decision settling like a weight he couldn’t shake. Maybe pulling back was the only way he wouldn’t break.

So he made a conscious decision to take a step back. 

Small things first – a little less eye contact, fewer jokes. Keeping his hands busy so they wouldn’t drift to yours. No more check-in texts. No more vending machine snacks.

And you felt it, clear as day.

You didn’t understand it, but the difference was like walking into a house you’d lived in for years and suddenly finding the furniture rearranged. Same walls, same door. But nothing was where it was supposed to be.

You immediately wondered if it was you – if you’d crossed that blurry line between you two. Wondered if your hand had stayed in his too long. If you sat a little too close one time. If you said something that made him realize he didn’t want this anymore.

You even considered bringing up the envelope, but something stopped you – fear, maybe. Or that strange, tight feeling that if you said it aloud—if you broke the silence—you wouldn’t be able to handle his reaction.

At this point in your relationship, he felt like an anchor. And you couldn’t handle watching him drift.

But you couldn’t do anything about it either, especially if he didn’t want to talk.

So, instead, you let the space grow.

And that was something Jack wasn’t expecting. But to prove to himself that he was fine with it—that he wasn’t that deep—he said yes to a date with one of the visiting surgeons at PTMC.

Someone age appropriate. Polished. Settled.

They got dinner at some nice place in Regent Square, somewhere one of the hospital admins had recommended. She ordered the house salad, said all the right things, smiled at all the right moments. 

But the whole time, he kept staring at her martini glass and thinking about how you would’ve ordered a fruity mocktail instead. He stared at her hand, steadily reaching for the glass, and thought about how yours shook when you were scared but pretending to be fine. He heard her speak and thought about how your voice caught when you talked about your mom. 

And he knew, in the pit of his stomach, that he could sit at a thousand nice restaurants with a thousand nice women and none of them would ever be you. 

As his date talked about some surgery or another she’d done today, his eyes drifted around the restaurant. 

He saw you instantly, as if his gaze was magnetically pulled to you. 

You’d chosen the restaurant because its bar was quiet, familiar. Dim and lowkey, the kind of place where you could drink in peace, alone and lost in your thoughts.

You sat at the end of the bar, fingers curled around a hot pink straw, stuck inside a fruity, orange mocktail. You hadn’t drank more than a few sips. Your mind was elsewhere. You were just tired.

Bone-deep, soul-wrecked tired. 

Hair in a messy bun, dark circles under your eyes.

Jack’s hand twitched around the whiskey glass he suddenly didn’t want. His date was speaking, but he didn’t hear it. Didn’t hear any of it.

Because you were across the room, and you looked like hell, and all he wanted to do was walk over and pull you back from the emotional spiral you were in.

The woman across from him tilted her head. “Jack, are you with me?” 

He hummed, forcing his eyes to tear from your figure and meet his date’s once more. “What? Yeah, I – ”

The woman knowingly shook her head, softly saying, “No, you’re not.” 

He blinked. Looked at her, guilty. “No,” he said, honest. “I’m sorry. I’m not.” 

She looked over her shoulder, finding the object of his gaze. 

“She’s why you’re not here?” 

He didn’t lie. “Yeah.” 

She nodded, kind. “Then go.”

He didn’t offer an apology. Just set his glass down, muttered something half-hearted about promising to pay, and left the table.

Crossed the room like it was both the easiest and hardest thing for him to do.

You didn’t turn when he sat down beside you at the otherwise empty bar.

Didn’t greet him.

Didn’t pretend.

Just took another mindless sip of your mocktail and said, flat, “You should go back to her.” 

Jack exhaled. “She doesn’t matter.” 

You paused, the quiet swallowing the space between you.

“She looked nice,” you said slowly, voice low. “Like the kind of person you could have a future with. A good, long life. She doesn’t shake when she drinks… she won’t forget your name in ten years.” 

That stopped him cold. The weight of your words pressed down on him. He swallowed hard, jaw clenched, but said nothing at first.

The silence stretched, thick and fragile, before he finally broke it.

“I don’t want her.”

Your laughter was bitter, sharp. “You don’t want me either.”

That hit him harder than he expected. His jaw flexed like he wanted to deny it immediately, but his hesitation said everything. 

He looked down at your hands, then back up, voice tight.

“That’s not true. I just – I pulled back because I knew… I knew you got the results. And you didn’t tell me, and I didn’t know how to ask. I didn’t want to be the person who needed to know something you could barely bring yourself to even do the testing for.” 

You stared at your drink, silence folding over you like a shroud.

“And I thought maybe,” he added, quieter now, “if I put some space between us, it’d be easier. For you. For me. Like if I pretended I didn’t care as much as I do, maybe I’d stop.”

You looked up, eyes glossy, rimmed with red. “Did it work?” 

He shook his head slowly. “No… it made everything worse.” 

You turned fully toward him, vulnerability softening your features. “So what now?” 

Jack leaned in, hand finding yours as the overhead light caught the streaks of grey in his hair. He was closer now, speaking low, like the words were meant only for you.

Because they were.

“Now I stop pretending. I’m here for you. I see you. And I’m not going anywhere.” 

You didn’t blink. “What if the results are positive for the mutation? What if I have it?” 

His eyes didn’t waver. 

“What if I stop remembering you?” your voice cracked. “What if I stop remembering me?” 

Jack didn’t hesitate. 

“Then I’ll remind you.”

Your chest caved in at the words. You shook your head, blinking fast, mouth pressed tight. A single breath quivered out of you. 

Slowly, almost numbly, you reached into your purse, fingers trembling as they pulled out the wrinkled envelope. It looked so small now. Just paper and glue and ink.

But in your hands, it felt impossibly heavy.

You held it between you, hands shaking harder now with all the unspoken fears and hopes.

“Will you…” you whispered, words catching before you could finish the sentence. 

But Jack understood.

His eyes softened as he reached out, hand closing gently over yours, steadying it. The reassurance in his touch grounded you, made you believe wholeheartedly in his promise of sharing the burden and providing unyielding support. 

He lifted the envelope carefully, and for a moment, time seemed to slow. The world around you faded away, leaving only this quiet, fragile moment between the two of you.

Then, with deliberate care, Jack took a deep breath and broke the seal.

[cripplecharacters]

Where to Start Your Research When Writing a Disabled Character

[large text: Where to Start Your Research When Writing a Disabled Character]

So you have decided that you want to make a disabled character! Awesome. But what's next? What information should you decide on at the early phrase of making the character?

This post will only talk about the disability part of the character creation process. Obviously, a disabled character needs a personality, interests, and backstory as every other one. But by including their disability early in the process, you can actually get it to have a deeper effect on the character - disability shouldn't be their whole life, but it should impact it. That's what disabilities do.

If you don't know what disability you would want to give them in the first place;

[large text: If you don't know what disability you would want to give them in the first place;]

Start broad. Is it sensory, mobility related, cognitive, developmental, autoimmune, neurodegenerative; maybe multiple of these, or maybe something else completely? Pick one and see what disabilities it encompasses; see if anything works for your character. Or...

If you have a specific symptom or aid in mind, see what could cause them. Don't assume or guess; not every wheelchair user is vaguely paralyzed below the waist with no other symptoms, not everyone with extensive scarring got it via physical trauma. Or...

Consider which disabilities are common in real life. Cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, stroke, cataracts, diabetes, intellectual disability, neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, thyroid disorders, autism, dwarfism, arthritis, cancers, brain damage, just to name a few.

Decide what specific type of condition they will have. If you're thinking about them having albinism, will it be ocular, oculocutaneous, or one of the rare syndrome-types? If you want to give them spinal muscular atrophy, which of the many possible onsets will they have? If they have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which one out of the 13 different types do they have? Is their amputation below, or above the knee (it's a major difference)? Not all conditions will have subtypes, but it's worth looking into to not be surprised later. This will help you with further research.

If you're really struggling with figuring out what exact disability would make sense for your character, you can send an ask. Just make sure that you have tried the above and put actual specifics in your ask to give us something to work with. You can also check out our "disabled character ideas" tag.

Here are some ideas for a character using crutches.

Here are some ideas for a character with a facial difference (obligatory link: what is a facial difference?).

If you already know what disability your character is going to have;

[large text: If you already know what disability your character is going to have;]

Start by reading about the onset and cause of the condition. It could be acquired, congenital, progressive, potentially multiple of these. They could be caused by an illness, trauma, or something else entirely. Is your character a congenital amputee, or is it acquired? If acquired - how recently? Has it been a week, or 10 years? What caused them to become disabled - did they have meningitis, or was it an accident? Again, check what your options are - there are going to be more diverse than you expect.

Read about the symptoms. Do not assume or guess what they are. You will almost definitely discover something new. Example: a lot of people making a character with albinism don't realize that it has other symptoms than just lack of melanin, like nystagmus, visual impairment, and photophobia. Decide what your character experiences, to what degree, how frequently, and what do they do (or don't do) to deal with it.

Don't give your character only the most "acceptable" symptoms of their disability and ignore everything else. Example: many writers will omit the topic of incontinence in their para- and tetraplegic characters, even though it's extremely common. Don't shy away from aspects of disability that aren't romanticized.

Don't just... make them abled "because magic". If they're Deaf, don't give them some ability that will make them into an essentially hearing person. Don't give your blind character some "cheat" so that they can see, give them a cane. Don't give an amputee prosthetics that work better than meat limbs. To have a disabled character you need to have a character that's actually disabled. There's no way around it.

Think about complications your character could experience within the story. If your character wears their prosthetic a lot, they might start to experience skin breakdown or pain. Someone who uses a wheelchair a lot has a risk of pressure sores. Glowing and Flickering Fantasy Item might cause problems for someone photophobic or photosensitive. What do they do when that happens, or how do they prevent that from happening?

Look out for comorbidities. It's rare for disabled people to only have one medical condition and nothing else. Disabilities like to show up in pairs. Or dozens.

If relevant, consider mobility aids, assistive devices, and disability aids. Wheelchairs, canes, rollators, braces, AAC, walkers, nasal cannulas, crutches, white canes, feeding tubes, braillers, ostomy bags, insulin pumps, service dogs, trach tubes, hearing aids, orthoses, splints... the list is basically endless, and there's a lot of everyday things that might count as a disability aid as well - even just a hat could be one for someone whose disability requires them to stay out of the sun. Make sure that it's actually based on symptoms, not just your assumptions - most blind people don't wear sunglasses, not all people with SCI use a wheelchair, upper limb prosthetics aren't nearly as useful as you think. Decide which ones your character could have, how often they would use them, and if they switch between different aids.

Basically all of the above aids will have subtypes or variants. There is a lot of options. Does your character use an active manual wheelchair, a powerchair, or a generic hospital wheelchair? Are they using high-, or low-tech AAC? What would be available to them? Does it change over the course of their story, or their life in general?

If relevant, think about what treatment your character might receive. Do they need medication? Physical therapy? Occupational therapy? Orientation and mobility training? Speech therapy? Do they have access to it, and why or why not?

What is your character's support system? Do they have a carer; if yes, then what do they help your character with and what kind of relationship do they have? Is your character happy about it or not at all?

How did their life change after becoming disabled? If your character goes from being an extreme athlete to suddenly being a full-time wheelchair user, it will have an effect - are they going to stop doing sports at all, are they going to just do extreme wheelchair sports now, or are they going to try out wheelchair table tennis instead? Do they know and respect their new limitations? Did they have to get a different job or had to make their house accessible? Do they have support in this transition, or are they on their own - do they wish they had that support?

What about *other* characters? Your character isn't going to be the only disabled person in existence. Do they know other disabled people? Do they have a community? If your character manages their disability with something that's only available to them, what about all the other people with the same disability?

What is the society that your character lives in like? Is the architecture accessible? How do they treat disabled people? Are abled characters knowledgeable about disabilities? How many people speak the local sign language(s)? Are accessible bathrooms common, or does your character have to go home every few hours? Is there access to prosthetists and ocularists, or what do they do when their prosthetic leg or eye requires the routine check-up?

Know the tropes. If a burn survivor character is an evil mask-wearer, if a powerchair user is a constantly rude and ungrateful to everyone villain, if an amputee is a genius mechanic who fixes their own prosthetics, you have A Trope. Not all tropes are made equal; some are actively harmful to real people, while others are just annoying or boring by the nature of having been done to death. During the character creation process, research what tropes might apply and just try to trace your logic. Does your blind character see the future because it's a common superpower in their world, or are you doing the ancient "Blind Seer" trope?

Remember, that not all of the above questions will come up in your writing, but to know which ones won't you need to know the answers to them first. Even if you don't decide to explicitly name your character's condition, you will be aware of what they might function like. You will be able to add more depth to your character if you decide that they have T6 spina bifida, rather than if you made them into an ambiguous wheelchair user with ambiguous symptoms and ambiguous needs. Embrace research as part of your process and your characters will be better representation, sure, but they will also make more sense and seem more like actual people; same with the world that they are a part of.

This post exists to help you establish the basics of your character's disability so that you can do research on your own and answer some of the most common ("what are symptoms of x?") questions by yourself. If you have these things already established, it will also be easier for us to answer any possible questions you might have - e.g. "what would a character with complete high-level paraplegia do in a world where the modern kind of wheelchair has not been invented yet?" is more concise than just "how do I write a character with paralysis?" - I think it's more helpful for askers as well; a vague answer won't be of much help.

I hope that this post is helpful,

mod Sasza

[iwtv-theories]

What did Armand die of ? (analysis/theories)

So in the books , (pre-turning) Armand was dying of poisoning, while Daniel was dying of alcohol poisoning. But now in the show, they are both implied to have been dying of a terminal illness . Parkinson’s for Daniel, and some unknown illness for Armand.

I think the biggest (possible) hint of Armand's past illness - is the fact that his eyes shake from side to side (unlike other vamps). It looks almost identical to “pendular nystagmus” (which is usually caused by a neurological condition). And this symptom can be exacerbated by stress and anger ...

Theory 1) Cancer

This crossed my mind because when Louis mentions being buried by rocks , he says “if you took an x ray it would look like little cancers” (referring to the skin indentations left by the rocks). The camera pans to Armand looking angry as he retorts “he could remove them any time he wanted to.” Then there’s an awkward silence at the table as Daniel looks at Armand.

Daniel also in the 70s compared marriage to “cancer.” And then Armand pretty much says since he’d be so miserable getting married- he should just die then. If he did have cancer - it would probably piss him off when people compare their problems to it .

And karposi sarcoma ,which Daniel wrote essays about is a type of cancer . In s1 there was also the man with cancer who begged Lestat, Claudia, and Louis to turn him.

Cancer could have caused the loss of appetite, and loss of muscles /fat (that Armand already associated with his illness). And if the cancer was neurological it could have caused the pendular nystagmus too.

Also, I know Louis called Armand "metronomic" because his schedule was so regimented. But, metronomic therapy is also a treatment for cancer .

Theory 2) Syphilis

Syphilis was rampant during the Venetian- renaissance. And sadly given the fact Marius p*mped him out , he would have sadly been more susceptible to develop the illness.

“latent syphilis” can also remain dormant for years or even decades (so after someone is infected, they could be asymptomatic for years ). So sadly, Armand could have also gotten it in the brothel even before meeting Marius. 'latent syphilis' if left untreated will eventually lead to ‘tertiary syphilis’ . This is the final stage of the disease . (At this stage the illness is no longer contagious) . Tertiary syphilis can develop into 3 subtypes - one subtype is ‘neuro-syphilis’ which can cause pendular nystagmus (*eye shaking), mood swings, loss of appetite/weight loss , etc . (Armand did mention he lost weight when he was stricken with illness).

Also Armand developing syphilis would have interesting parallels to the aids crisis . Both were stds that many people at the time attributed as a 'divine punishment' for 'immoral sexual behavior'.

“During the Venetian Renaissance, syphilis was a significant public health concern... leading to widespread fear and social stigma.” (Similar to the aid's crisis). Dm was also set during the backdrop of the aids crisis, and Daniel even reported about the aids crisis in the show. Not to mention Daniel reported on karposi sarcoma - a complication of aids - which leads to lesions internally and externally (similar to the lesions that can occur with syphilis).

In the books the poison did cause burns/ swelling marks on Amadeo’s skin -that Marius healed right before his turning . And syphilis can cause skin rashes/ lesions(so Marius could have theoretically just healed that symptom before turning him ).

But if his skin appeared normal while ill (that doesn’t mean he didn’t have the condition) because not everyone with syphilis develops that symptom.

Theory 3) : Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Probably, the least likely out of the 3. This thought primarily crossed my mind simply because Armand looks like he has episodes of “pendular nystagmus”. Which is most commonly caused by ms . And in the initial pilot , Daniel was supposed to have m.s. (but they later changed it to Parkinson's). So who knows... they could have decided to give it to Armand instead.

Contrary to popular belief (the most common time of diagnosis is between 20-50 years old). Depending on which variation of the condition you have: someone can appear asymptomatic, with episodes of the more classic symptoms occurring periodically .

It can also cause loss of appetite and weight loss .And since it’s an autoimmune disorder … I think if he did have ms he wasn’t technically dying from it - but couldn’t fight off an infection or cold. Since ms (in some not all individuals) can weaken the immune system.

Plus, there were no antibiotics/traditional meds back then for common ailements. People died of common illnesses that a lot of us could have easily survived today. Having a weakened immune system would have only made it more likely to occur.

Any other theories for what illness he had? Besides poisoning, like in the books?

Armand gif source: (x)

[ltwilliammowett]

I wanted to give you a quick update because some of you are already very worried. Unfortunately, the new year has started with a death in my family. I'm also in a pretty bad way at the moment and have to have lots of tests to rule out the possibility of multiple sclerosis or COPD. That's why I'm mentally at the end of my tether. I just need some time away to recover and get going again.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

Not covid specific, but good to remember: Masking and other airborne disease prevention keeps you from getting other diseases like the flu too. Covid's not the only threat to your long-term health out there.

By Felicity Nelson

A study of around 500,000 medical records suggested that severe viral infections like encephalitis and pneumonia increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Researchers found 22 connections between viral infections and neurodegenerative conditions in the study of around 450,000 people.

People treated for a type of inflammation of the brain called viral encephalitis were 31 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. (For every 406 viral encephalitis cases, 24 went on to develop Alzheimer's disease – around 6 percent.)

Those who were hospitalized with pneumonia after catching the flu seemed to be more susceptible to Alzheimer's disease, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Intestinal infections and meningitis (both often caused by a virus), as well as the varicella-zoster virus, which causes shingles, were also implicated in the development of several neurodegenerative diseases.

The impact of viral infections on the brain persisted for up to 15 years in some cases. And there were no instances where exposure to viruses was protective.

Around 80 percent of the viruses implicated in brain diseases were considered 'neurotrophic', which means they could cross the blood-brain barrier.

"Strikingly, vaccines are currently available for some of these viruses, including influenza, shingles (varicella-zoster), and pneumonia," the researchers wrote in their paper published last year.

"Although vaccines do not prevent all cases of illness, they are known to dramatically reduce hospitalization rates. This evidence suggests that vaccination may mitigate some risk of developing neurodegenerative disease."

In 2022, a study of more than 10 million people linked the Epstein-Barr virus with a 32-fold increased risk of multiple sclerosis.

"After reading [this] study, we realized that for years scientists had been searching – one-by-one – for links between an individual neurodegenerative disorder and a specific virus," said senior author Michael Nalls, a neurogeneticist at the National Institute on Aging in the US.

"That's when we decided to try a different, more data science-based approach," he said. "By using medical records, we were able to systematically search for all possible links in one shot."

First, the researchers analyzed the medical records of around 35,000 Finns with six different types of neurodegenerative diseases and compared this against a group of 310,000 controls who did not have a brain disease.

This analysis yielded 45 links between viral exposure and neurodegenerative diseases, and this was narrowed down to 22 links in a subsequent analysis of 100,000 medical records from the UK Biobank.

While this retrospective observational study cannot demonstrate a causal link, it adds to the pile of research hinting at the role of viruses in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

"Neurodegenerative disorders are a collection of diseases for which there are very few effective treatments and many risk factors," said co-author Andrew Singleton, a neurogeneticist and Alzheimer's researcher and the director of the Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias.

"Our results support the idea that viral infections and related inflammation in the nervous system may be common – and possibly avoidable – risk factors for these types of disorders."

This study was published in Neuron.

Study link: www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(22)01147-3?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0896627322011473%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

[wheelie-sick]

What are your thoughts on self diagnosing physical health issues? My friend said it's okay to self diagnose some but not others (like is okay with people self diagnosing pots, fibro, or cfs but says you can't self diagnose conditions like ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, or multiple sclerosis) but isn't able to explain why they're okay with some but not others

Oooooo I have a lot of thoughts about this

this is missing a lot of nuance because there is so much nuance to this topic, but here's the gist of my opinion.

I think a huge impact on this is the absolute range of what people consider self diagnosis to be. some people will consider all the way up to your doctor saying "you probably have this" but not having confirmed it yet to be self diagnosis (<- this is not self diagnosis. it's just not.)

for the sake of this I'll define self diagnosis as a person being moderately to completely confident in having a condition while a doctor has not yet agreed (not necessarily that they've disagreed, just that they haven't yet agreed) having light suspicion is also not self diagnosis.

I think, in general, physical health conditions fall into the "it's circumstantial" category. I don't actually think anything is entirely "off limits" for self diagnosis- particularly because some families have very strong genetics for specific conditions.

it would be unreasonable for most people to self diagnose spinocerebellar ataxia type 13 because it is so exceptionally rare but also... it's autosomal dominant and runs in families. generally people in positions like these get diagnosed via pre-emptive testing but not always. for most people, putting the suspicion on a more common condition is the logical way to go but if you have the symptoms of the rare autosomal dominant disorder in your family despite not having a diagnosis yet, well 🤷

it's all these messy situations with genetics that make talking about this a complicated mess. while neurodivergencies absolutely can be and often are genetic they're not genetic in the same way many physical health conditions are. what I mean by this is- there isn't one single gene that causes them. many physical health conditions have clearly defined genetic causes with known inheritance patterns.

obviously de novo mutations exist making everything a bigger tangled mess

and so do disorders with no known genetic cause

and disorders which often have genetic cause but sometimes just show up for 🤷 no one knows quite why but they do (my mom is in this boat with ankylosing spondylitis, she's in the minority without the gene that predisposes to it)

and of course you can have the gene for something and then never develop the disorder

I do think there are a couple of factors anyone should be taking in consideration before self diagnosing a physical condition

prevalence in the general population & within your family. you look for horses before zebras (look for what's common before what's rare) while anyone can have a rare disease you should be taking into account the prevalence when looking at possibilities

differential diagnoses. everything has differential diagnoses. responsible self diagnosis involves looking at those and comparing.

how it's actually diagnosed. some things have very strict diagnostic criteria and not all of those can be tested for at home. when it comes to conditions like POTS you can be wrong but you also can mimic a tilt table test at home. you can't mimic the genetic test for vEDS or an MRI for multiple sclerosis

testing that has already been done.

I want to say some more on the latter three because I've already touched on prevalence a bit.

with differential diagnosis you can always be wrong. a lot of people look at POTS, fibro, and ME/CFS and "easy to self diagnose" and I actually wildly disagree because all of them are diagnoses of exclusion. just because they're common and have diagnostic criteria you can find online that you can test for yourself does not mean they are easy or light to self diagnose. this isn't to say that people can't self diagnose with them, I can't and won't stop people, but it needs to be done with care. it's also important to seek medical confirmation from a provider who will be thorough when able to.

I see the same problem with providers too, actually. they're quick to throw one of these 3 diagnoses at someone, then that poor person finds out they have something life threatening instead by having a preventable medical crisis 🫠 do your best not to let your doctor give you a diagnosis of exclusion on the first appointment, and if they do, seek a second opinion.

just using POTS as an example because I know the most about that one- certain heart blocks, inappropriate sinus tachycardia, mitral valve prolapse, and more can all mimic it. you cannot differentiate between the above based on symptoms or an at home tilt table.

I think testing plays a big role but I put less weight on it than other aspects, like differential diagnosis and prevalence. you obviously need to either meet criteria or have strong suspicion that you do. if you can't tell me how something is diagnosed and how you think you'd fit into those criteria given existing testing (if any) you shouldn't be self diagnosing something. however, you often can a good idea without some of the more conclusive tests

I'll use the diagnosis I'm currently on the path to as an example- myasthenia gravis. you cannot do blood tests or an EMG at home, but you can do the icepack test for ptosis and the single-breath counting test for lung function.

people tend to discount how much of a role symptoms play in autoimmune disease diagnosis and it drives me insane. lupus requires only one positive blood result (ANA at a titer at or above 1:80) and while there are other blood tests that can contribute to diagnosis you don't need...any of them? I actually disagree about lupus not being self diagnosable.

the final factor to me is testing that has already been done. some things that I'd look at as "implausible" self diagnoses become more plausible if a lot has already been ruled out.

while not a factor in ability to self diagnose I also think people should be less certain when sharing self diagnosed physical conditions vs neurodivergencies. people know their mind best but knowing your physical body is kind of a different story. that's not to say that people can't share, just that they shouldn't have the confidence of god doing it.

(all of this is general "you")

[bunny-claws]

aromatherapy & magic

aromatherapy is said to be therapeutic for a number of reasons: enhancing memory, reducing anxiety/stress, alleviating physical symptoms of disease, and inducing relaxation, to name a few [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ].

medicinally, for example, the use of aromatherapy has been beneficial for many patient populations - in cancer patients, aromatherapy is used to reduce procedural anxiety [ 4 ]; it is said to have a positive effect on the short-term memory and orientation of alzheimer's patients [ 5 ]; and lavender oil specifically was found to significantly improve the memory of certain patients with multiple sclerosis [ 6 ].

scent travels through our olfactory system and to the limbic system of our brain, which has a variety of functions: epinephrine flow, emotion, behavior, motivation, long-term memory, and the sense of smell all together. with that being said, it's not a surprise that a certain smell could possibly trigger a memory or pattern of behavior.  

for magical purposes, we can use scent and aromatherapy to induce a particular state of mind, whether it be happiness, focus, relaxation, and many more.

here is a list of common essential oils and their correspondences: 

anise [star] - psychic awareness, clairvoyance, cleansing, calming, dreams, happiness, luck, protection

balsam fir - energy, strength, courage, prosperity, protection, cleansing, mental clarity 

basil - attraction, banishing, relaxation, happiness, peace, prosperity, success

bergamot - attraction, peace, relaxation, happiness, restful sleep 

camphor - strength, psychic abilities, cleansing 

cedarwood - spirituality, meditation, self-control, healing, cleansing, strength, success

chamomile - calming, relaxation, meditation , beauty, attraction, banishing, dreams, healing

cinnamon bark - warmth, energy, protection, psychic awareness, prosperity, healing, comfort, love 

clary sage - euphoria, calming, dreams, divination

clove - healing, memory, protection, courage, energy, banishing, cleansing

cypress - healing, blessing, consecration, meditation, relaxation, psychic abilities

damiana - attraction, love, lust dreams, divination, enhanced psychic abilities, energy

dragon’s blood - protection, cleansing, creativity, energy, banishing, love, luck

eucalyptus - attraction, healing, cleansing, mental clarity, meditation, peace

frankincense - spirituality, meditation, relaxation, spell-breaking, success, wisdom

geranium - happiness, love, protection, energy, courage, spell-breaking

ginger - energy, manifestation, love, prosperity, courage, strength, success, cleansing

grapefruit - cleansing, joy, energy, healing, mental clarity

hyssop - cleansing, banishing

jasmine - love, calming, peace, spirituality, sleep, psychic awareness 

juniper -  relaxation, calming, restoring, love, protection, attraction

lavender - healing, love, peace, relaxation, balance, protection 

lemon - energy, happiness, balance, healing, love, cleansing 

lemongrass - psychic awareness, cleansing, energy, mental clarity 

lime - cleansing, physical energy, protection, happiness, healing

lotus - spirituality, healing, meditation, road opening, elevating 

marjoram - peace, sleep, calming, relaxation, happiness, love

mugwort - psychic awareness, psychic dreams, astral projection 

musk - prosperity, courage, attraction, love, uplifting, focus, psychic abilities, protection from psychic attacks

myrrh - spirituality, meditation, divination, healing, psychic abilities, spell-breaking, success

nutmeg - energy, uplifting, warmth, protection, psychic abilities, meditation, attraction

orange - happiness, joy, energy, love, cleansing, uplifting, creativity, inspiration

oregano - cleansing, comfort, warmth, energy, spell-breaking, strength

patchouli - prosperity, energy, love, meditation

peppermint - healing, cleansing, meditation, wishes, divination, dreams  

pine - healing, purification, protection, balance, energy, prosperity  

rosemary - memory, love, healing, cleansing, energy, protection 

rose - love, peace, happiness, beauty, protection, relaxation, psychic abilities, divination, attraction

sage - memory, wisdom, prosperity, cleansing, meditation, psychic abilities, wishes

sandalwood - spirituality, healing, cleansing, relaxation, meditation, divination, manifestation 

spearmint - healing, protection, cleansing, balance, prosperity, divination, dreams 

tangerine - joy, energy, well-being, happiness, balance, cleansing, relaxation, inspiration, creativity

tea tree - harmony, peace, healing, meditation 

thyme - cleansing, mental clarity, balance, uplifting, empowering, attraction, divination, dreams, healing

vanilla - love, energy, warmth, happiness, attraction, relaxation, luck

vetiver - attraction, creativity, love, luck, protection, prosperity, uncrossing

wintergreen - protection of animals, good luck, prosperity, uplifting, energy 

wormwood - psychic abilities, spell-breaking, love, divination, manifestation 

ylang ylang - love, peace, relaxation, attraction

© 2025 bunny-claws

[neodymiumcuilz]

Spare some money to help Ahmed Mazen in Gaza 🍉🍉

Could you imagine being so desperate for food and aid, that you are forced to risk your life, and visit one of these death traps just to get some aid?

Could you imagine getting your foot severely injured while trying to get food? And your foot risks being amputated?

Could you imagine that on top of all of this suffering, your father is extremely sick? This is Ahmed ( @mazen-fmaily )'s reality.

" My friend please I am helpless in everything we lost our job and work and I lost my mother and my life and my home and everything and I am in your hands to help me and donate to save my life please help me don't leave me. Here we live every day tasting the taste of death because we are hungry but also my father is sick with Sultan's disease and multiple sclerosis but he needs medicine every day and its price is very expensive because of the conditions here. I beg you to help me as much as possible spread the news among your friends so they can help me among your family I need you. I need right now only $100 to buy medicine, needles and medical solutions I need you I beg you strongly to help me and donate to me please help me don't leave me alone. Don't ignore me please. "

He pleads with us to not ignore him and help him. Could you imagine living through a genocide, and having to plead with people to help you? We cannot fathom this suffering. Could you imagine that humiliation and despiration??

$8,497 / $40,000 raised. This is not sustainable, donations can be slow, and days apart. This isn't enough to sustain his father's medicine and food costs.

Israeli soldiers even confessed to having orders from commanders to shoot innocent aid seekers. ( source; Middle East Eye article. )

One soldier described the distribution centres as a "killing field".

"Where I was stationed, between one and five people were killed every day," the soldier told Haaretz.

"They're treated like a hostile force, no crowd-control measures, no tear gas. Just live fire with everything imaginable: heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars." The aid centers are only operational for about an hour each morning, and aid seekers are shot before the place opens, and after to "disperse the crowds".

"Once the centre opens, the shooting stops, and they know they can approach," one soldier said.

"Our form of communication is gunfire."

The soldier also said they opened fire "early in the morning if someone tries to get in line from a few hundred metres away, and sometimes we just charge at them from close range", even though there was "no danger to the forces."

"I'm not aware of a single instance of return fire. There's no enemy, no weapons," one soldier said.

The targetting of aid seekers is truly despicable, and we must help support the victims. Support Ahmed Mazen and his family through his suffering.

tagging for reach:

@wormzandgutz @tlirsgender @apas-95 @doorhine @chilewithcarnage @daloy-politsey @renegadeer @fadedlovemp3 @lelouch @saint-vagrant @dayvan @1eos @serial-unaliver @cakemadeofbacon @mx-piggy @autisticandroids @taffybuns @anarchblr @ragingbullmode @997 @sunlitmcgee @cdfreak @starsincline @tpwrtr mnky @sonicattos @xinakwans @givemearmstopraywith @loombreaking @thedarksideofmymoonhasmatches @killy @deathlonging @palms-upturned @gigginox @threefeline@creativebrainrot @fabmab @budd-ie @medusadyke @relelvance @teachiisan @vincentspork @teabisexual @officialscud @lazyleafeon @vensulove @nosferatu-library-for-palestine

[cripplecharacters]

is it valid to make a character use a wheelchair because of autism? i have an idea that she uses a powerchair because walking sometimes overstimulates her, all this muscles moving and clothes touching her calves and everything else...

Hello asker,

I'm going to start my answer with a question that I'm going to ask you to hold in the back of your mind as you read my response: Why don't you want her to be physically disabled?

Now, onto the rest of the answer.

This isn't very realistic. Starting with the fact that a wheelchair user will still wear clothes that will touch them and that might overstimulate them, so the powerchair isn't actually serving the purpose of taking that stimuli away. And on top of that, powerchairs themselves provide a lot of sensory input. A chair that you sit on? That is sensory input. When you roll over somewhere gravelly and the vibrations pass through the chair? That is sensory input.

You also mention the muscles moving. I don't know anyone who gets overstimulated from just their muscles moving; that doesn't mean it doesn't happen whatsoever. But: walking is not the only thing you use muscles for. Talking, eating, waving, using sign language, dancing, writing, holding things, etc, all use muscles. Does this overstimulate her, too? Have you researched if this is someone's life experience and how they deal with it?

Also, a powerchair isn't cheap nor particularly easy to get. Your character would most likely need to qualify for one and then obtain it. It might be more realistic for your character to use an adult stroller, but again, this also provides sensory input, and would need someone to push her.

This all does not mean that your character cannot be an autistic character with a power wheelchair. Many autistic people are! However, this would likely be due to physical disabilities they have.

These might be comorbidities often seen with autism, like severe dyspraxia or cerebral palsy, or movement disorders, or seizure disorders. Or they might be comorbidities not necessarily related to autism, but people can have multiple conditions at a time. Your character could have multiple sclerosis, or muscular dystrophy, or a TBI, or a spinal cord injury. These are all real and pretty common reasons people use wheelchairs, and they are all possible along with autism. You don't have to abandon the aspect of 'autism' to make your character a power wheelchair user.

I want to end with a note that "validity" isn't the point. I appreciate you caring enough to send this ask and wanting to know what we think. But my concern here is not validity. My concern here is that not considering reasons further than just 'autism' for your character to use a powerchair can sort of lead to you using these aesthetics of physically disabled people without taking into consideration their life and realities.

Hope this helps,

– mod sparrow

[lostinlovingrevery]

hey there! I've been a fan of your writings for a little while now and i was wondering if you could write a Logan fic with a reader who is in the hospital to get checked for multiple sclerosis? (could also be something else, but that's what i am in the hospital for rn)

And the reader is scared shitless of needles (like me) but pretty much every procedure involves needles, like the lumbar puncture which is required for the diagnosis. And you get poked in the back four times, but the doctor fails to get the cerebrospinal fluid out and it leaves you shaken up and crying. Exactly that happened to me yesterday and I just wanted some Logan comfort💔

no pressure though! I'm so sorry if this is too specific

Right Here

Logan Howlett X GN! Reader

Every step of the way

A/N: AH thank you so much!!! I have two family members with MS, so I understand how scary this must be. I'm so sorry for what you went through and you're honestly a huge trooper for it and I hope that you gave yourself some grace and took care of yourself after!!! I wish you all the best during this time and I hope this brings you some comfort!! Sending you lots of hugs (Esp logan ones <3) also, dont worry about being too specific, we all need to feel that comfort from our pookie 💕

Warnings: Hospitals, needles, medical tests, anxiety, a bit of angst, fluff and comfort, Logan <3

"Wouldn't it kill them to make these places a little more welcoming?"

Logan looked up from staring at the floor, and turned to look at you. He stood by your side while you hands were folded between your legs, anxiously swinging them over the edge of the bed. Your comment breaking the silence in the room.

He looked around. You had a point, he didn't like hospitals either. Always felt cold, soulless, with technology and medical machinery just lingering about. They reminded him of his own bad memories, but apart from that, hospitals are just unpleasant.

The room you were in felt just as cold. White walls, black and white patterned floors. An oxygen pump, heart monitor, and various other buttons and medical doohickeys are scattered across the wall and around the room; along with cabinets likely filled with more medical supplies, and a single sink.

A single poster of a sad-looking kitten hanging from a branch, with the text

"Hang in there!"

Placed on the wall across from you. You stared at it in disdain.

Logan looked back at you, glancing at the loose-fitting hospital gown you were given to change into when they brought you both into the room. One sleeve falling off your shoulder, he leaned over, pressing a kiss to your bare shoulder before gently lifting the gown back in place, and his arm went around you, hand pressing into the cushioned hospital bed you were sitting on.

"How would you decorate it then?" He asked gently, leaning into you. A question to help you get your mind off the upcoming procedure.

"Well for one I would get rid of that poster- that doesn't make me feel motivated at all. It just makes me sad, look at that kitten! Someone should be helping it. Not letting it dangle in the air barely holding on..."

He smiled, leaning in to press another kiss to your temple. "I'm sure someone did right after the picture was taken, sweetheart." He comforts, his hand soothing up and down your exposed back.

"I'd get rid of the tile floor too. It's ugly and a little creepy. Wood panels floors would be better. Paint the rooms different colors. Add some nice pictures or something. Like trees. Maybe like... a vintage couch in that corner..."

"You should go into interior design."

You looked at him and he had a playful smile on his face. You rolled your eyes, making him chuckle in response. Your hands fiddled nervously.

"What's taking them so long..." You muttered. Your nerves felt on fire and you couldn't stand waiting longer. You've already had to endure blood draws (miserable) MRI's (uncomfortable) poked and prodded (weird) and being told every worst-case scenario possible .

Logan had been with you the entire time, making sure you didn't go through anything alone. He listened to the doctors, let you squeeze his hand as the nurse drew your blood while he whispered encouraging things in your ear. He took in every word the doctor asked, and spoke up for you when things became a bit too much and you needed a break.

Your next procedure was a lumbar puncture, and Logan could hear the way your heart stopped and your blood running cold at those words. He immediately squeezed your hand, reassuring you that he was right there, that you won't be alone.

His hand pressed into your back soothingly, "Want me to go see?" He asked. You shook your head, you're not sure if you could handle being alone. Especially because you've been feeling the urge to run the moment you stepped into the hospital and you're fairly sure that without Logan's presence, you would have likely taken off by now.

You leaned into him, resting your head on his shoulder. "I wish we can just go home now."

"I know sweetheart." He rests his chin ontop of your head. "You've so strong, you'll get through this- we'll get through this."

Just as he soothes you, the doctor comes in with the nurse who was pulling along a tray of supplies- needles.

"Okay! Sorry for the wait." The doctor clapped his hands in a cheery demeanor. "Do you have any more questions before we get started?"

You looked at Logan and he shook his head at the doctor.

"Anything else you need me to explain about this procedure? I will be walking through everything with you."

"No, thank you." You shook your head, eyes falling to the tray, Logan's hand moved to your shoulder, giving you a reassuring squeeze.

"Okay, well, lie on your side and when you do, bring your knees up to your chest, nurse Hathaway here will be holding onto you to help you stay in place-"

You nodded, moving to lie on your side with Logan gently leading you, always keeping a hand on you as assurance he was still there. Ignoring the sick feeling of dread in your stomach as your mind continued to picture the needles you saw on the tray. You lifted your legs up to your chest. The nurse stepped forward, but Logan stopped her.

"S'alright if I do it?" He asks.

Relief flooded you when the nurse nods. She explains to him how to properly hold you, and make sure that you don't wiggle or move around during the procedure.

Logan leans down over you, arms securing over you. You're immediately comforted by his presence holding you during this- but it didn't stop the fear.

"I'm right here." Logan comforts, his thumb brushed against your skin. He didn't take his eyes off your face, watching your scared expression with a broken heart.

As the doctor spoke up, explaining every single thing he did, you squeezed your eyes shut, attempting to hide your quivering lip and the way you felt like you couldn't breathe.

You braced from the numbing injection, and then the big needle. A harsh breath escaped you as you become uncomfortable and uneasy, and Logan talked you through it

"You're doing good baby," Logan coos, "You're getting through it-"

"Ah, Hathaway, could you bring a new tray?"

"What?" Your voice sounded full of panic.

"It's alright, just need to do it one more time." The doctor says. His tone gave way no worry, completely professional but it gave you no comfort.

You took a shaky breath. "Logan?"

"it's alright, I'm here." Logan comforts, a quick glance at the doctor - something you caught to be one of his famous scowls; before turning his attention back to you.

3 more tries, and the lumbar puncture was unsuccessful. The doctor gave you instructions on what the next step would be- as you barely contained your tears and tried to listen. As soon as he left, you broke down.

Logan immediately wrapped his arms around you, pulling you to his chest as you sobbed and shook in his embrace. His shirt soaked from your tears, as you held onto him in a deathgrip. He pressed a firm kiss to the top of your head, praise coming from him for how strong you were- that you did great, and everything was going to be okay.

He held you until your cries calmed, and once everything was finished, he helped you redress and held your hand as he walked you back to the car.

You were exhausted, sore, and wanting to go home and climb in bed and do nothing for a week.

Reaching home, he didn't let you take a single step. Carrying you out of the car despite your protests that you were fine, just shaken up, but he wouldn't hear it.

He tucked you into bed, putting on your favorite movie, and ordered your favorite food for when you're ready to eat. All you wanted was him though.

He climbed in with you, pulling you close into his arms, a hand softly petting your hair while you closed your eyes and took a deep breath- allowing yourself to feel safe again after such an intense day. Logan's body was warm- always is, you tease him for being a human furnace but this time it's everything you needed. His steady breathing helped you stay present, not falling back to the memories of the day.

"I'm proud of you sweetheart." He says gently breaking the quiet silence you both were in for awhile, tucking some hair behind your ear. "You did great today."

"I don't know..."

"You did." He reassures, his arms pulled you closer. "And whatever happens, I'll be right here for you."

[liesonmytongues]

The Hillbilly: Medical Deep Dive

Howdy y'all! This is different from my usual content, but I actually really enjoyed doing it lmao. For context and a fun fact, I'm a medical student, and I've never seen anyone tackle what exactly causes the hillbilly to look the way he does besides the lore simply stating he was born deformed. Lemme know if I should look at any other characters 🫶

Here's my attempt to tackle it!

For starters, while Max was originally deformed in multiple ways, I absolutely think that the Entity exaggerated his features to appear more monstrous, probably for her own amusement, and for the terror of the survivors (maybe also to shame or humiliate him for some reason). Also maybe inbreeding. His parents were deep town farmers in the early 1900s.

Eyes: Severe cataracts and Aniridia (In Aniridia, the iris of the eye may be completely or partially missing, so you only have a pupil. This, combined with severe cataracts, could lead to an eye that appears entirely, or almost entirely white). Alternatively, it could be an extreme case of Corneal Leukoma, where a spot(s) appears in the eye, partially or completely covering the iris and pupil in a porcelain looking whiteness.

Another possibility could be extreme sunsetting eyes caused by Hydrocephalus (fluid in the brain), which could also lead to the conical shape of his head (more later).

Hair: Naturally thick, coarse hair, mixed with conditions such as Hypothyroidism or certain vitamin deficiencies, could cause the thick, sorta horse-like hair that grows down the hillbilly's neck and upper back. We can also see by the farm that the area he lives in seems very dry, which can worsen texture.

Body shape: Most definitely severe Congenital Kyphoscoliosis, a type of scoliosis where the spine bends both sideways and forward, leading to a possible hunchback and thrust torso look. Could also be combined with Pectus Carinatum (pigeon chest).

His ribs expand outward, which would most likely just be caused by a rib flare, and malnutrition can make it look much worse.

For the growth on his back, it could be a lot of things: a benign tumor, a cyst, a lipoma (fatty benign tumor), an abscess, a massive lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes which can cause tumors all over), a soft tissue sarcoma (fleshy or fatty tumors) , lymphedema (an obstruction of the lymph nodes causing swelling of lymph fluid), a huge keloid, and more- largely depends on the texture of the growth, with a soft, squishy texture being most of the above benign growth, and a hard texture being most of the above malignant growths.

And like I mentioned early, the conical shape of his head could be a somewhat mild form of Hydrocephalus, or something else like; Deformational Plagiocephaly, where a newborn spends too much time with it's head resting in a certain position and the skull changes shape, Carpenter syndrome (malformations of the skull bones), or Craniosynostosis, where the skull bones fuse too early in development, forcing the rest of the skull to continue growing a different way. Of course there are some others as well.

Aside from the above, the shape of his body is fairly normal.

Body/face abnormalities: These on the other hand, account for basically every strange things about Max's body.

We can very clearly see that the skin on Max's head and upper body tends to stretch and connect to other sections of his body. This could be an extreme, extreme case of congenital skin bridging, where sections of skin, most commonly on the neck area, connect and bridge to other sections of the body, making it look like someone punched out a hole of flesh. Yum.

The areas of smaller growths and bumps could also have a lot of different causes. Neurofibromatosis type 1, for instance, can cause uncontrolled tissue growth along the nerves, leading to what can look like extreme skin tags. Tuberous Sclerosis does something similar, but acts as more of a combination of NF type 1 and type 2, possibly causing these non-cancerous growths among all vital organs, including the skin (I find this one more likely based on the way these growths look on Max). Leprosy would make a lot of sense, and account for some of the deformations we see as well- so would Hidradenitis Suppurativa (Acne Inversa) which causes large, generally pus-filled lumps, mostly along areas with lots of skin folds (ie, groin, armpits, stomach, under breasts, etc), and can cause large, weeping sores/open wounds which can easily get infected.

The general texture of Max's skin looks pretty leathery (whether or not it actually feels leathery), as well as hyperpigmented. The former could be caused by Scleroderma (the hardening and thickening of skin caused by autoimmune disease), Diabetes, Ichthyosis (group of skin disorders acting similarly to scleroderma), Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum (progressive mineralization and fragmentation of connective tissue and elastic fibers, causing a leathery look), Lichen simplex (patches of dry, itchy, leathery skin), and more. However, a *combination* of the hyperpigmentation and leather-ness could be caused by things like severe sun exposure and chronic sunburns (he is a farm boy, but he was also locked up in a basement for like 20 years), Cutaneous Amyloidosis (Amyloid deposits in the skin cause it to become thick, hyperpigmented, and leathery), or maybe Acanthosis Nigricans (often from insulin resistance, causes thick, velvety, sometimes leathery skin).

We can clearly see areas of Max's skin that have split open, causing deep wounds that he tries stitching back together with wood staples or something, which makes me think his skin might be brittle, another things that can be caused by the above skin disorders. He could've also just slashed himself open with his chainsaw or a sharp corner.

As for the hard plugs on one of his arms, these are most likely to be caused by Nevus Comedonicus, closely grouped papules that resemble giant Comedones- or blackheads. However, in this disorder, the comedones can actually get this massive in real life, and occasionally look worse- such as being striated, gaping, or covering an entire limb.

And his big dick is caused by fuckmeinthepussyitis.

[transgenderfabianseacaster]

so my riz uses a wheelchair (aftermath of kalina, basically he has fantasy multiple sclerosis now), and i just remembered that he has mage hand which is so cool bc he can push his wheelchair w one of his hands and his mage hand and shoot and do other things with his other actual hand. it only last 1 minute but its a cantrip so he can just cast it over and over again

i wish it was possible to have multiple mage hands.... maybe kristen gives riz her teddy bear, like ik mage hand isnt concentration and does not. work like that. but fuck you idc <3

anyways. i need to draw him

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

By Amy Norton

The virus can trick your body into attacking itself.

Brittany Underwood was 37 when she was hit with COVID early in 2021. Her case was mild, and, like the mom she is, she took care of everyone else because of course the rest of her family had it too. It wasn’t until a couple weeks later that she started to feel lousy—wiped out, constantly thirsty, and dealing with weird issues like blurry vision in one eye.

When Underwood brought those symptoms to her doctor, he decided to run some blood tests. “My blood sugar was through the roof,” Underwood tells SELF. It was so high, in fact, she ended up in the hospital that same day, where they handed her a diagnosis that would change her life: type 1 diabetes.

This autoimmune disease is most often diagnosed by the age of 14—it used to be known as juvenile diabetes because it’s the type that most often hits kids, teens, and young adults. Because Underwood was approaching 40, her case was unusual. But her doctors raised a possible explanation: She’d just had COVID, and they suspected the infection might have triggered her diabetes.

Nearly four years later, we have a lot more than suspicions. In fact, the pandemic has been blamed for a spike in type 1 diabetes. New cases in kids and teens jumped up 16% in the first 12 months of the pandemic and 28% in the following year. (Before 2020, the typical increase was 2% to 3% per year.) And it’s not just type 1. Other autoimmune diseases—including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, and lupus—went up too. Exactly why that happens isn’t fully clear, Sonia Sharma, PhD, an associate professor at La Jolla Institute for Immunology, in La Jolla, California, tells SELF. “But,” she adds, “we do have some clues.”

When your immune system turns on you The idea that COVID could set off a chronic autoimmune disease might seem out there. But, Dr. Sharma says, “it’s not a new concept at all.” Autoimmune diseases are caused by a misguided immune system attack on the body’s own healthy tissue. For that to happen, a perfect storm of conditions has to come together. Genes definitely matter, Dr. Sharma says, since autoimmune diseases tend to run in families, and studies have tied certain genes to higher risks of the conditions. (Underwood says she has a family history of autoimmune diseases.) Your sex assigned at birth matters too: Autoimmune diseases are way more common in women than men, Dr. Sharma notes (though anyone can get them).

But those kinds of risk factors aren’t enough on their own. People have to be exposed to one or more “triggers” that tip the immune system into self-attack mode. And microbes are among those potential sparks, Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, professor of immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine, tells SELF.

Studies have linked a slew of infections—including super-common ones like the flu, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus—to various autoimmune diseases. Epstein-Barr, which eventually infects nearly everyone and is usually no big deal, may be the prime example: A recent study found that the infection likely plays a role in most cases of multiple sclerosis (an autoimmune disease that destroys the protective covering around nerve fibers).

There are different theories on exactly how it happens, but Dr. Iwasaki offers a (relatively) basic overview. First, she says, it’s a little known fact that everybody has some number of immune system cells that are “autoreactive,” meaning they’re capable of going rogue against you. Thankfully, they usually don’t. But in certain people, under certain circumstances, an infection might “activate” those autoreactive immune cells.

“Once they’re activated,” Dr. Iwasaki explains, “they can divide and travel to different tissues in the body, and may start to attack your own cells.” All of that, she adds, is more likely to happen when an infection generates lots of inflammation in the body. An ordinary cold probably won’t do that, but COVID might.

How big is the risk? Even though it can seem like we’ve been living with COVID forever, it’s still a very new thing. Because of that, Dr. Sharma says, it’s only recently that studies have been able to turn up strong evidence that the infection does trigger autoimmune diseases.

That includes this 2023 study of close to 4 million Americans. It found that people diagnosed with COVID had higher odds of developing autoimmune diseases over the next six months, versus COVID-free people. On average, they were roughly three times more likely to be diagnosed with conditions like RA, lupus, psoriasis, celiac disease, and type 1 diabetes.

Really important to point out here: Although three times more likely might sound huge, the risk of any one person developing an autoimmune disease after COVID is still low, Sara Martin, MD, medical director of Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Adult Post-Acute COVID Clinic, in Nashville, tells SELF.

Another 2023 study, published in Clinical Rheumatology, helps put things into context. It found that of 565,000 people with COVID and no history of autoimmune disease, 1% were diagnosed with an autoimmune condition over the next 3 to 15 months. That was 43% higher than the rate among people who didn’t have COVID during the same period. Although that sounds like a lot, it was an increase from roughly 11 to 15 cases per 1,000 people per year. So…not a huge amount, but not something to dismiss either. And if you’re one of the unlucky people who does develop an autoimmune condition, that’s a heavy toll.

“All of a sudden I had this huge life-altering thing,” Underwood says of her diabetes diagnosis. People with type 1 have to take insulin injections every day to stay alive. So Underwood was forced to quickly learn the intricacies of carb counting, adjusting insulin doses, timing meals to avoid dangerous blood sugar drops—and managing them when they did happen. Time and experience, as well as connecting with other people with type 1 diabetes, have taught Underwood a lot. “But I’m still learning, three years later,” she says. “It’s just a constant thing. You can’t take a day off.”

Is there a way to protect yourself? At this point, many of us have had COVID more times than we’d prefer. So does your immune system get used to the virus, and maybe make an autoimmune reaction less likely?

Unfortunately, Dr. Iwasaki says, there’s reason to believe the answer is no. That’s based on what researchers have learned about long COVID, a collection of symptoms like extreme fatigue and brain fog that hits many people post-infection. Prior bouts of COVID do not seem to lower the odds of developing long COVID (and the risk might even go up each time you’re infected). Long COVID, Dr. Iwasaki notes, is different from autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes and RA because the cause isn’t clear and may be due in part to direct damage caused by the virus. But she and other researchers have found that autoimmune reactions to COVID infection may also be behind long COVID symptoms, at least in some people. “I think that’s one clue that reinfection would not lower the risk of autoimmune disease,” Dr. Iwasaki says.

Okay, now for the good news: COVID vaccination might be protective. For one, Dr. Martin says, research shows that vaccination can lower the risk of long COVID, and the more vaccine doses you get, the greater the protection.

There’s also this large study published last year by researchers in China, which found that although COVID was associated with an increase in many autoimmune conditions, those risks were lower among people who’d gotten at least two COVID vaccine doses, versus unvaccinated people.

It’s “absolutely” plausible that vaccination helps, Dr. Sharma says. Vaccination, she explains, primes your immune system to stop the COVID virus “at the front door”—your respiratory tract—so that it can’t hitch a ride around the body, churning up inflammation and, potentially, an autoimmune reaction. And while people can develop autoimmune disease after a mild case of COVID (as Underwood did), research suggests that the odds might be substantially greater if you become severely ill.

“We already recommend vaccination for everyone,” Dr. Martin points out. “It reduces the potential for severe COVID, and we know it also reduces the risk of long COVID.” If you’re worried about autoimmune disease (say, because you have a family history of them), Dr. Martin says that’s one more reason to stay up-to-date on your COVID shots.