#SMAS

[a113cowgirl]

I had 3 doctors appointments in the last week AND a call/long conversation with my case manager/care plan manager, and she’s doing her damnest to get me back into palliative care. (For those who don’t know, palliative care is basically hospice for those who aren’t expected to die in the next 6 months.)

Looks like the specialists are finally starting to agree with me… I’m done with trying to find a cure, I’m exhausted from years of surgeries trying to fix the root problem/cause.

I just want to treat the symptoms and try to improve my quality of life as much as I can and focus on comfort and reliving suffering, rather than fighting so hard to fix everything and be cured. I just want to stop suffering so much.

This partially feels like “giving up,” and makes me sad… but the other part of me feels so much relief in finally giving up the fight. I just want to live the rest of my existence in as little pain as possible, and try to prevent more health crises-es and emergencies.

It’s been a lot of years of this… I’m ready to focus on being comfortable and getting my life back a bit. I’m finally coming to terms with that hard conversation a doctor had with me 8ish months ago about “accepting that I will always be disabled” and “coming to terms with a new normal.” At the time, I was so mad at him suggesting that… but now I’m realizing it may be more peaceful for me to go that route. I’m tired of constantly fighting it and spending so much time researching experimental surgeries and treatments to find a miracle cure. I just wanna focus on living.

[cloudvisualspew07x]

[walmaker-artist]

Been working on these clear pipe sprites recently.

[starmieknight]

Sing Me A Story (of the bravest of them all)

Prologue

Pairing: Buggy x Original Female Character

Summary: Josie Harper doesn’t know what her family's connection to the One Piece world is exactly. That's not going to stop her from trying to figure it out and how to use it to get back home.

She just had to survive what it throws at her first. And keep from falling under the allure of the future Pirate King and his crew.

---------------------------------

Josie gaped at the familiar Jolly Roger in horror, only managing to tear her eyes away when a nearby ‘clink!’ made her startle.

The same clownish Jolly Roger grinned up at her from a small metal ball near her feet.

Contents: Isekai, Freeform Greek Mythology, Reincarnation, Recreational Drug Use, Ghosts, DubCon, Pining, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut

Chapters: Prologue, One, Two, Three

It began, as one might expect, with a goddess of creation — and ended as one might infer, with the god of the dead.

But the space between spanned more than just the course of a life — or lives.

In this particular incident, things carried over generations, from Gaia herself to the many children she had and then their children. You see, a man never truly dies until his story is forgotten and a story can be changed and retold a thousand different ways.

Therefore, let me sing you a new story of Gaia, her children, and Hades — the star of the hour. --------------------------------------------

Throughout her long existence, Gaia had been called many names, in many different tongues. Her favorite, though, had been Mother and then Grandmother when her children’s children came along.

She loved her children and adored her grandkids and would do anything for them. Even if it meant defying her husband, denying the powers of the universe and outright spitting in the face of Fate herself. So maybe she had to hide away for a bit, adopt a new name. She was still the same person.

And when it came to the time when her husband finally found her eldest grandchild, the last in hiding, Gaia showed her hand and slapped him in the face with it.

Literally.

The sounds of her fight with Uranus shook the heavens like thunderclaps and the seas like tidal waves.

And for someone like Josie, who was only a passable swimmer in calm waters, it was nearly a death sentence.

One moment, she was having dinner with her grandma in a cafe by the river. The next thing she knew, there was a strange man trying to snatch her up.

Josie had always known her grandma was a tough woman, never one to take any nonsense or disrespect sitting down, and had always assumed she’d be the kind to fight for her family.

But to see it in person!

Even she had no idea of the elder woman’s power.

The elder woman scuffled with a stranger like it was no strange occurance and didn’t lose any ground for it, taking a licking and coming back kicking every time — and even throwing in a good tongue lashing while she was at it.

So when Josie was tossed into the river with nary a scream, too shocked by the turn of events to even make a sound, it was a bit unexpected

Distantly, she recalled the sight of her grandmother suddenly growing to an outrageous size as she attacked the strange man who interrupted their meal. But the image was quickly lost when Josie found himself resurfacing from the river to stinging saltwater in her eyes and the harsh mid-day sun shining down on her.

Josie began treading water on instinct and gaped at the bright sky in disbelief.

It had just been night!

“Help!” Josie barely managed to squeak out between unfortunate gulps of seawater. She was barely even thrashing, finding she could only continue to grab over her head for a surface that wasn’t there. All her years of swimming in pools and lakes went forgotten as her body began to drown.

But Gaia’s penchant of defying fate wasn’t a singular trait. It was hereditary — and had passed along to Poseidon and his brood.

It was with no small amount of youthful glee that the middle son and his lover, both yet unseen, raised a great swell beneath his still in-the-dark sibling and sent her riding a wave towards the nearest shore.

Josie, still unknowing of her family’s true nature let alone the existence of another world, finally managed a scream as she was suddenly lifted from the sea and tossed onto dry dock.

It was unpleasant to say the least.

But even being slammed into the dock couldn’t compare with the scene that came after.

Pure destruction littered the streets of the unknown town.

Smog and dust filled the air, just barely lit enough for Josie to see the buildings that composed the town.

Or rather, what was left of it.

Some buildings remained standing on bare bones, husks of homes and stores that had been knocked from their foundations, looted of possessions and then had their windows and doors smashed for good measure. The rest of the town was rubble, broken boards and smashed stone, scraps of paper and cloth, abandoned belongings and rotten food.

For one horrible moment, Josie thought she’d been dropped onto the set of the Walking Dead.

The warped reality set in as she managed to pull herself to her feet and recognize the wreckage beneath her feet.

She was standing on some sort of sign, worn with both age and abuse.

Orange Town

A sense of foreboding filled her as she lifted her eyes to the only ship in dock.

Bigger than any boat she had ever seen and undeniably circus-themed, the Big Top towered over her in both sheer height and width.

Josie gaped at the familiar Jolly Roger in horror, only managing to tear her eyes away when a nearby ‘clink!’ made her startle.

The same clownish Jolly Roger grinned up at her from a small metal ball near her feet.

Josie paled.

“Oh, fuck me!” was all she managed to gasp before the ball cracked open in a cloud of noxious fumes.

[jaydove-writes]

Ana's streaming (She's my partner @starlightprincess98)

[longhaulerbear]

(Vascular Compression Syndrome Introduction on Vimeo)

An *outstanding* explainer video about vascular compression syndromes incl. MALS, SMAS, May Thurner, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and more.

[cosmicseafoam]

Hello, Hi!

My friend Ruby is currently battling a rare illness and she's fighting hard to seek medical help. If you have any money to spare at all, please help her cover her increasing medical costs.

[fibro-faerie]

Hey y’all!

I wanted to start a little support group for us spoonies— the Chronic Annoyance Gang.

Come join me to vent about all things chronically annoying 🤣

[oliveasaltylife]

[malnutrition, food, medical diet, weight discussion]

My entire body hurts so bad today and I am so exhausted despite having like 10 hours of sleep. My body and nervous system are so overwhelmed from malnutrition on top of my usual complex chronic illness stuff and it is seriously difficult to come out of it. The intense fight or flight response that I’ve been in for months feels never ending and nothing has really been able to calm me down. I was always aware of physical effects of malnutrition, but my level or anxiety is higher than I’ve ever experienced and my dissociation threshold feels nonexistent. And the worst part is knowing that food will help, but if I overdo it I’ll end up in the hospital again with significantly worse symptoms.

I’ve unintentionally lost so much weight over the past few months because I haven’t been able to eat normally and I don’t tolerate my Soylent meal replacement shakes anymore. It’s quite scary watching my body change like it is and that definitely confounds my anxiety. I’m really glad my pcp was able to get me a prescription for a meal replacement shake because I really don’t want a feeding tube and am doing everything that I can to avoid one. I just really miss food and making meals, which is making my medical diet more difficult. (It helps knowing I absolutely can not tolerate the pizza I really want, but it’s just hard restricting myself so much).

And it’s so fucking difficult to actually hydrate myself and stay hydrated even *with* IV hydration. I am really so miserable and in so much pain and so nauseous.

[a113cowgirl]

I’m in the hospital unexpectedly for a few days and FEROCIOUSLY consuming Stolitz content to survive/heal myself ♥️🥰

Pls send your fave stolitz fanfics, one shots, fanart, COMICS, especially 🥹👉🏻👈🏻

[kitschykitschykoo]

Christmas Angel...

[steamcaptain]

My SMAS has flared up for the fourth day in a row.

[jaydove-writes]

My partner is streaming Sailor Moon Another Story on YouTube with a little help from me.

Check out her stream here.

[pcnmagazine]

Final Acts Announced for Specsavers Scottish Music Awards Honouring Iconic Artists and Emerging Talent

FINAL ACTS ANNOUNCED FOR SPECSAVERS SCOTTISH MUSIC AWARDS Fairground Attraction’s Eddi Reader, Edinburgh’s own Nina Nesbitt, and Grammy award winning producer Blair Ferguson to be honoured at Specsavers Scottish Music Awards alongside moody trad newcomers Beluga Lagoon and crowd pleasers GUN. #SpecsaversSMA  Full Winners List and Performers Announced for the 2024 Specsavers Scottish Music…

[safimirandenver]

Revitalize your skin and appearance with non-surgical SMAS lifting using HIFU technology in Denver, a safe and effective alternative to surgery. For more information read the article.