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forrealfr-blog · 5 years ago

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Sick of Bills. Nationalize Healthcare

Sick of Bills

Another day in the dorms, video games with friends, subpar food from the dining commons, and then a severe allergic reaction that closed my throat which had me gasping for air. It was my freshman year of college and I had just returned from spring break in 2016. I woke up in my dorm room on a beautiful sunny Santa Barbara day feeling slightly feverish and itchy, but I just assumed that my spring allergies were beginning to start and thought nothing of it. Seven hours later my roommate came home after a long day of classes to myself broken out in hives and barely able to talk. I am not the type of person to call an ambulance for myself, but luckily for me my roommate was sensible enough to realize that what was happening to me was not normal and that I needed medical attention immediately.

“Take one pill every four to six hours, with a full glass of water”. Those were the instructions written on the seemingly harmless bottle of antibiotics my doctor had prescribed to me. Sulfonamide tastes like metal, is best taken after a meal, and caused me to become hospitalized for five days. I spent at least half of my first college spring break smoking blunts at my local park. Falling on hard concrete for hours straight, surrounded by fellow 18 year old boys who encouraged insanity, all while being too “cool” for a helmet should have been the most dangerous part of my week. Instead, I put myself in the most jeopardy that week when I forced the first dosage of the disgusting nickel sized pill down my throat.

I took my first dose of Sulfonamide on Thursday night. Spent an uneventful Friday with my family. Then hopped on a train Saturday morning, back to my crammed dormitory. I was eager to show my roommates my pulsated spider bite, I thought it was a purple badge of honor.

My prescription never crossed my mind unless it was time to take it. I followed the medical instructions the pharmacist gave to me, but neglected the signs my body was giving to me. From the night I started my prescription to the night I was embarrassingly wheeled on a stretcher into an ambulance in front of all my friends, I grew increasingly sick. By the time I gave up the tough guy act and started to take my negative symptoms seriously, it was too late.

Over the course of 48 hours I went from jokingly proclaiming to my friends that “I’m going to get superpowers and become the Black Spiderman'', to having an allergic reaction so severe that my skin was about as red as Spiderman’s suit. I know there was no way I could have predicted this outcome. StilI, I wish I took the situation more seriously.

I have heard stories about hospital bills that cause crippling debt, but had never experienced the weight of an unexpectedly high medical bill firsthand. When I arrived at Goleta Cottage Hospital the doctors immediately started asking me questions such as “Do you have any known allergies?”, “What have you eaten in the past couple of days”, and inspected the hives that were spread across my whole body. As I laid in that hospital bed surrounded by concerned doctors, blinded by white hospital light, I was terrified. By this point I could barely breathe, the only thing I remember saying to them before I fell asleep was “I don’t know”. My thoughts raced, I might have said more but that is all I can remember. Everything was out of my control.

When I woke up, I immediately started to look around the room but I took a while to fully gather my thoughts. Whatever the doctors gave me put me in a haze so strong it felt like I was floating. I was still extremely itchy and my skin felt like it was burning, but at least I could finally breathe. In my altered state of mind I had no idea what time or day it was, all I processed was that I was in the hospital. As I sat and wondered “what the hell is going on?”, a doctor came in and explained that I was having a severe allergic reaction. The biggest problem was that he had no idea what had caused it and looked to me for answers, but my response to his questions remained the same “I don’t know”. I must have been noticeably frustrated because he assured me that I would be ok and that he would figure it out. From that point things started to improve.

I was sedated by the pills that nurses would occasionally bring, I had my phone and TV, and was brought a menu and told that I could order “As much food and dessert as you want”. I returned the countless calls I missed from my mom and told her “you can’t get rid of me that easily”. It was 2AM on a Tuesday morning, I had only been in the hospital for six hours. In the surprisingly comfortable hospital bed I slowly calmed down. I stopped worrying and rushed to social media to pump out a cliche tweet along the lines of “My haters tried to catch me slipping”. I had no idea that this is where I would spend the next five days, but if I had I likely would have celebrated the excuse to miss the first week of classes.

I saw the hospital as a doctor’s note, they saw me as a dollar sign. I was ignorant of the consequences of being hospitalized until I received a 48,000 dollar bill in the mail. Every doctor and nurse that cared for me was brilliant. My doctor reached out to my primary care physician and was able to solve the mystery of what had almost killed me, Sulfonamide. I was charged 48,000 for taking prescribed medicine. As a low income student that can barely afford the cost of higher education, I felt just as helpless as I did when I was in the back of the 4,000 dollar ambulance ride. Bill in hand, assuming I would have to drop out I sat in my bed and cried for 30 minutes as an adult. As I reflect on this experience four years later, I find it hard to come to terms with the fact that the medicine that was intended to heal did more harm than good. At 18, I was given the stark reality of the profit driven nature of the American healthcare system. Luckily, my insurance lowered the cost of the bill to 6,400 dollars, but the initial trauma of thinking I ruined my financial future before it started has been done. In the midst of this pandemic, I constantly worry about people who might fall victim to an unjust hospital cost or avoid seeking medical attention due to the fear of cost. The impact of my hospital bills combined with the increased understanding of why communities like mine are marginalized shaped the outspoken socialist and black activist I am today. The disproportionate amount of Black Americans dying from COVID19 is the latest example of why activism is essential and must happen now!

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forrealfr-blog · 6 years ago

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5 Cuffing Season Essential

You already know whats goin’ on!!! We done damn near made it through November and to be honest with y’all I thought this global warming shit cancelled the fuck outta Winter. But alas we are finally starting to get Winter temperatures and y’all know what that means... ITS CUFFING SEASON BAYBEEE! I already blessed y’all with my steps to go from Simpin to Pimpin to kick off the Hot Boy Summer https://forrealfr.tumblr.com/post/185091454181/5-steps-to-go-from-simpin-to-pimpin, but you know I had to come back with the crucial essential for cuffing season.

Essential 1. EXPENDABLE HOODIES

How many hoodies you got? A LOT! How many thotties you got? A LOT! How many sweaters went missing? Left your wardrobe to rot... Yeah fellas you know when that cold weather comes around your hoodies come up missing faster than Frank Ocean when he barely releases an album. But I’m here to tell you right now it is crucial to hide your favorite wintertime pieces whenever you got a lil mama sliding to the crib and fill your drawers with those dusty ass crew necks you haven’t worn since 2011 (Yeah i’m talking about that dusty ass Green one and the one that used to be Navy but is now like a weird grayish color). If you don’t have ashy hoodies/sweaters/coats/ or crewnecks hit up your local Goodwill or Walmart ASAP! You’ll thank me later.

Essential 2. DISNEY+

Now before explain more about the wonders of Disney plus, I have to give a special shoutout to the OG that paved the way for us NETFLIX. You have done the community justice, but unfortunately there’s a new sheriff in town that goes by the name of Disney Plus. True story: Disney Plus has only been out for a week but i’ve already sang along to Disney princesses my way into some guts TWICE! The options are limitless on this platform and it eliminates that awkward movie picking phase you had to go through with Netflix. When in doubt pick a classic from the 90s or early 2000s and get to work! The game has been changed... the game has beennn changed uh ha haaa.

Essential 3. A CAR WITH A WORKING HEATER

I know its 2019 and all these Hot Girls and Stallions got their own whips and are on that INDEPENDENT WAVE, you love to see it. But if you expect your shawty to always drive to you or always pick you up for dates, THEN YOU GOT ANOTHER COMING BUCKO BECAUSE THESE GAS PRICES AINT IT! Now to my fallen soldiers without a car I hate to be the bearer of bad new but this isn’t your year... regroup and try again next year :(. But to all my licensed kings who are skrtttin through the city it is essential that your vehicle has a working heater! If your car doesn’t have a heater you gone be sitting there with chapped lips, ashy knuckles, and cold ass hands SHEESH. If you don’t want her contemplating if she is seeing a whole a bum you better keep her warm in that passenger seat or trust me another dude will.

Essential 4. A SIMP PLAYLIST

Shoutout to Da Baby, Lil Tecca, and Ms. Megan Thee Stallion for holding it down and giving us some classic summer turn up music, but its that time of the year to switch up the vibe and curate that “In my feels” playlist to make sure the mood is right. Now if you think you’re too HaRd to listen to that simp shit i’m here to tell you right now that your toxic masculinity is about to get you negative hoes this season. You can never go wrong with kings of simpin Drake, Frank Ocean, and The Weeknd but if you really want to stand out you’re going to have to find some slept on artists/tracks to toss in the mix that will have her asking “Yo who is this?”. I recommend Pink Sweat$, Roy Woods, and Brent Faiyaz. There’s no better feeling than knowing you put someone on to some fire tracks, and if things don’t workout between you guys just know that whenever she plays the song you showed her she will be simpin and thinking about you. We playin chess not checkers fellas!

Essential 5. IRON PILLS

You know how the saying goes “Women who are Anemic have the best pussy”. This statement has been proven by years of scientific research and if you really want to impress the ladies, you should pull out a bottle of iron pills and all the cold, light headed mamis will swarm. If you don’t have a solid pick up line or don’t know how to enter the DMs just tweet “I’m Anemic” and watch them flock!! For maximum effectiveness of this tactic having essentials 1 and 3 are crucial, because if you don’t keep your iron deficient queen warm she might mess around pass out on you (literally). Iron pills bro i’m telling you.

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forrealfr-blog · 6 years ago

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4 Random Ass Things College has Taught Me

I know for a fact that damn near everybody had the best fucking summer of their life right before entering their freshman year of college. This was a time filled with hoodrat shenanigans that you and your day ones will never forget. For me this magical pre college summer came 4 long crazy ass years ago... damn i’m old lmao. Since then I’ve learned a lot about society, culture, and how fucking evil America is. But anywaysss, I also learned some random ass things that I didn’t expect to learn.

1. I guess you can’t survive without eating vegetables.

My first year of college was dope and a big reason for that was because YA BOY balled out with his FAFSA and got chose the unlimited meal plan. I remember feeling like a king walking in the dinning commons just to grab a snack or glass of chocolate milk WHAT A TIME. But after moving out of the dorms into my first (raggidy ass) house, I had to learn how to survive as an “adult”. The first month in my new house I basically lived off of grilled cheeses, dino nuggets, oatmeal, and Dr.Pepper I KNOW I KNOW I WAS A MESS lol. But after having heart burn on the daily and still being tired after 12 hours of sleep, I realized maybe my diet wasn’t the wave. So I finally decided to drink H2O and eat veggies... my organs and immune system are thanking me to this day.

2. IPAs actually smack!

When I came into college I hated the taste of beer with a passion smh! But after realizing I was being a BAN (real ones know what this stands for). I decided to hop on the beer wave and see what the hype was about. Now I’m not going to lie, the cheap shit (bud light, natty ice, miller light) has always tasted gross to me, but once I started buying that premium shit my life changed for the better. I started buying shocktops and modelos which made me feel like a boss, and don’t get me wrong those still smack, but IPAs are lowkey where its at. You only need to drink half the amount of IPA to get a solid buzz going and once you learn to appreciate the flava, it is tough to go back. I recommend Lagunitas!

3. Some people take that astrology zodiac sign shit serious af!

I know literally everyone knows at least one person in their life who believes that the month you were born in dictates what kind of person you are. Well let me tell you, I’ve met some people who treat that stuff like it is life or death. I remember someone telling me i’m an earth sign, and they are a fire sign/ moon rising?? Idk but that shit was sounding a lot like Avatar the last air bender to me... lol. But anyways, if you see a girl with a crest moon necklace or does yoga and drinks kombucha you better have the exact day and time you were born ready or it will not workout... trust me.

4. Being lightskin is not a personality trait.

I remember when I was in high school I rode the “i’m a lightskin ahaaa” wave to the fullest extent. It was so bad that my old twitter handle was mikey_ovo and I wasn convinced that I was Drizzy Drake himself, jeeez those times were crazy lmao. But anyways, after getting to college I realized that thinking of myself as “lightskin” and acting all pretty boy did not make me a cool person. Can you imagine a grown ass man texting you back 6 hours later like “Sorry I didn’t reply lol You know I’m lightskin”? LMAO. And while I still may be a pretty boy and super attractive/sexy (whatever term you prefer) individual, college has made me a humbler man and taught me that being lightskin isn’t a personality trait.

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forrealfr-blog · 6 years ago

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5 Steps to go from Simpin’ to Pimpin’

What’s up ladies and gentleman, you know summer is coming up and that means it is time to start lining up those SUMMAH FLING candidates. If you are even a little like me chances are you come from a background of being ugly in high school and having Take Care on repeat... geez. Well good news playas summer 19 aka second winter (y’all made mother earth mad) is approaching fast. So it is time to switch from Take Care vibes to If You Are Reading This It’s Too Late vibes. Here are my 5 steps to transform yourself from a simp to a Pimp!

Step 1. STOP BEING A PICK ME

A pick me is someone on twitter who tries to flex hard about being a generally boring and domesticated person. I’m going to keep it real with you chiefs and chiefettes, when people see you tweeting “All I do is work and go to school :(” or some other bullshit that makes you seem like a bland person they are not going to hit you up! Pick me people are also know to be player haters that find any opportunity to bash people who are enjoying life, stop fucking hating!

Step 2. Have some icy summer fits

Damn I can’t stress this enough, but summer fits are crucial to your success over the summer. Having an icy fit doesn’t mean cop all the hype shit that everyone else is wearing, but rather find key pieces that make you feel confident. I like to switch up my styles every couple weeks just to keep them guessing... “Is this nigga a ball player, skater, trust fund baby, sheesh idk but he is fine.” yeah that’s what people usually think when they see me.

Step 3. Don’t fear being curved

This one was probably the toughest for me. I remember the days when I used to be scared to shoot my shot like Ben Simmons, but now a days i’m pulling up from anywhere like I got that number 30 on my jersey (it’s still fuck Golden State). But yeah you are going to get curved and that’s ok. Stop being scared of rejection and start shooting shots playa.

Step 4. Drop your Ex (They don’t want you anymore)

Aight I get it, it’s summer, you’re off the Henny, and that simp playlist is hitting different tonight. But if you are even still considering liking that thirst trap your ex posted 2 hours ago, or replying to that snap story of them looking like a whole meal (I’m talking Denny’s Grand Slam good) DONT DO IT PLEASE DONT DO IT *Drake Voice*. Every time your ex texts you just play some 21 Savage or Meg Thee Stallion... that will get your mind right for sure. Avoid Take Care and anything The Weeknd at all cost!!

Step 5. Get THICC

If you get thicc the amount of Dms you get will raise by at least 45% (science backed trust me). Ladies you already know that fellas will do anything to get the attention of a thicc girl, but fellas guess what? Once I got thicc too I started looking phenomenal in my sweat shorts and now I have to give all the ladies dirty looks for staring at this cake for too long. It is a blessing and a curse but this tip also helps for long car ride in that homies car that has the old seat that have shitty cushioning, you will be sitting for hours feeling real comfortable.

Take these steps from someone who has 177 unread imessages, 24 unread dms, and 3 unopened carrier pigeon letters that you will start pulling immediately. Oh and fellas you must be at least 6′0 for these tips to reach their maximum potential... sorry I didn’t make the rules I just play by them. Ladies you can avoid all these steps by posting a thirst trap... lucky.

#summer #advice

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