#dwarfism medical

[a-little-revolution]

Is there any difference in your anticipated lifespan as a little person, and if so, is it because of your dwarfism, or because of social issues/prejudice surrounding it?

Hello! There are many medical complications that come along with dwarfism, such as bowed legs, club foot, spine curves, cleft pallet, sleep apnea, arthritis, hyper-mobile or locked joints, respiratory issues, hearing issues, and more. Some medical concerns can require surgery, assistive devices and mobility aids. But as far as I know (and have researched) many of these complications are treatable and do not affect life-span. This can of course depend on the level of severity.

[eats-the-stars]

my nephew really got nerfed here by the genetics lottery. intolerances up the kazoo. boy cannot digest so many things. child you are only 3 years old please he is on so many supplements.

[ultimaid]

on the one hand i genuinely do love that ryoma’s stature isn’t the most defining factor of his character. hell, the game doesn’t even bring it up. he’s genuinely just another member of the cast and his physical difference doesn’t have undue attention drawn to it, and i really like that, especially given danganronpa’s terrible track record with how it treats physically diverse characters (looking specifically at hifumi and twogami). he’s never infantilized either and that makes me quite happy.

on the other hand… i very much wish ryoma was written with disability in mind. even just an offhanded mention of how people would underestimate him on the court due to his stature would be interesting at the very least. maybe a mention of having had some sort of medical issue that’s common in people with dwarfism. anything at all would really be nice! but since it’s completely ignored, we’re left with the sense that he wasn’t intended to be disabled at all.

i don’t know. it’s just painful to know that ryoma was likely only given his particular physical characteristics in order to make the chapter 2 murder trick work, rather than as a tasteful and knowledgeable inclusion of a character with dwarfism. that’s such a vastly underrepresented population, especially in video games.

[neuroticboyfriend]

my height situation is a little weird bc i'm 4'11 presumably due to my intersex condition, but dwarfism is defined as 4'10 or less due to a medical condition, yet there are people with dwarfing conditions who are my height. so like. i'm in the weird inbetween spot. heightism still effects me but ik not as much as others.

[randomarttalent]

Mlp Pie's next-gen

Original posts, info and links down below

MaudBriar Kid

Ship: Maud "Slate" Pie + Mudbriar "Walnut" Fossilized Maple Maple is very different from their parents, not just in style, personality or special interest. Maple has a few hidden disabilities, meaning many won't know what it is unless it's told to them. Maple is dyslexic, meaning she has a harder time reading and writing, in Maples's case, she has a harder time writing than reading. Even though she may not be as fast as the rest in the literary world, that doesn't stop her, her way of creative thinking comes very handy with different tasks around the rock and wood farm. Maple also doesn't care about pronouncing, he's someone who goes with the flow a lot, which can be seen in his cutie mark. Its different patterns in a moving motion, show how flexible he is and how his talent is noticing the small things and being able to help in almost any situation.

LimeDa Kids

Ship: Gilda "Glory" + "Shady" Limestone Pie

Gloomy Glory

Gloomy is small for a griffin and his age, reason why is because he has dwarfism, which is also the reason why he had been abandoned. Griffin's used to throw away the weak and sick chicks, under Twilight's rule these traditions have become illegal but some are still able to get past and go unnoticed.

Luckily Gloomy was found before anything bad happened.

Gloomy is the oldest of the two but always gets mistaken for a small child. He has gotten used to it over time but it still annoys him. Because of his condition, he has a harder time flying, reaching things and certain things over longer periods of time.

Glaze Glory

Glaze was a large baby, this caused one of his wings to become deformed and so, he too was abandoned by his mother. He managed to survive till a representative of Twilight noticed him as they were traveling to the Dragon Lands.

Glaze grew and grew in size and soon enough the bed he was using in the orphanage was too small but soon enough he was adopted by Gilda and Lime. He still grows and will for plenty of years to come, as dragons live for centuries.

CheesePie Kids

Ship: Pinkamena "Pinkie" Diane Pie + Cheese Sandwich

Lil Cheese Even though he is short, Lil Cheese is the oldest of his siblings. He was born too early because of Pinkie's diabetes and high blood pressure, causing him to be c-sectioned at birth. Pinkie had only started on the medication to help her with these conditions. Lil Cheese has some problems with breathing at higher rates, meaning he can't play as much as other kids. Running for too long was also very dangerous for him, as his lungs never fully developed.

Lil Cheese was for most of his life homeschooled but as he got older and promised to watch out for himself, he was allowed to enroll. The teachers were told of his condition and Lil Cheese was happy to finally be able to be with other kids his age. Of course, he loves his family but he had always dreamed of making friends on his own. He did feel outside, as he couldn't play as the others but he had mostly gotten used to that feeling because of his younger siblings and watching them play.

As Lil Cheese grew up, he got his cutie mark while making a cheesecake for his Bright Luck, as it was her birthday. He wanted to do it alone, as he had helped a lot throughout his childhood and felt as if he could do it alone now, he wanted this to be his gift to her, as he didn't really know what she wanted that he could get. At the birthday party, as the slices of cake were handed out, he received compliments and he felt so proud. He then received his cutie mark and everyone was happy and excited by it.

He now works as a writer, writing stories of his life growing up, and his hardships, and has even written a best seller of a romance fantastical world, which world was made very open and broad. In his free time, he likes to go out to schools, talking about his disability. Helping teach that there's nothing wrong with being different.

Pop Tart Pop Tart is the tallest in the whole family, her broader makes her stand out and has been an insecurity all her life, as she feels rather less feminine than she wishes to look like. Even though her tall figure might frighten some, her heart is solid gold, and she's incredible with children.

Even at a young age, she liked taking care of the younger twins, she was the first one to be there if one of them began to cry, even scolding her parents about it. Even though they couldn't do anything about it, as sometimes babies just cry. As she enrolled in school, she became the popular one, as she looked the oldest and her warm and welcoming atmosphere. However, as they all grew older, she became less important to the other students, as they got older, and started having other feelings for things, such as crushes, makeup, spots, and so on.

Pop Tart didn't mind at all and rather liked the students her age who weren't around a lot, she enjoyed hanging around the younger fillies and colts, as she felt more important there as she would help the teachers and get compliments for her helping hoof. As everyone in her class got their cutie marks, she didn't. No matter what she tried, nothing had that spark and wasn't her calling, and as time went along, Pop Tart was tired of trying and only wanted to focus on her education. She wanted to be a doctor, specializing in children, wanting to help the young ones, like someone had with her older brother.

In her education, she became the top of her class, her still hoofs and quick-thinking brain were exactly what this job needed. As the final texts came, she was starting to get nervous, not wanting to fail or mess up. Her family and friends did their best to calm her mind and wished Pop Tart the best as she was called in on the performance test. At the start, she was quiet and didn't talk much but as time went on, her voice grew and she even came up with ideas for the main doctor's procedures. He was slightly surprised at her idea but was beyond proud of her improvement in the surgery and bright mind.

She passed and her cutie mark finally came, a cute fixed bear, resembling her and her passion for her work. Pop Tart started work at her education hospital but soon was moved to a better children's hospital, which specialized in child care and sicknesses.

Rock Candy Rock Candy and his twin brother Swirl Mix are always together, even though they are so very different. Rock is very outgoing and has ADHD, in his case making it harder for him to concentrate and doing tasks. He has a hard time lowering his vocals in exciting situations, as well as going nonverbal in upsetting ones. Whenever he gets very excited, his voice is loud and he starts moving his front hooves, doing stemming.

Rock is very kind and is very happy to hear others talk about their likes, as he wants to know about them and will even research the topic to later bring it up. If ever down, the best way to brighten up his day is by letting him ramble on about his latest hyper-fixation. 

At school, Rock had a hard time learning because of his ADHD but after learning he had it, he received extra time of things, as well as allowing him to bring fidget toys.  In one of the cooking classes, they were making candy and they made misshapen sugar bracelets, he was the only one made extremely well for his age and first try. He couldn't stop showing it off and would even start making candy with his mother. Earning his cutie mark as his aunt Marble Pie came over and they made rock candy together.

He now owns his own half-section of Sugar Cub Corner, selling sugar sweets and beautifully made rock candy in jewelry-like styles.

Swirl Mix Swirl Mix compared to his twin brother has always been more quiet and had a harder time socializing. As he had Autism, in class he would mumble a lot more than at home. Sometimes he would suddenly switch from happy to sad or angry, which consered the teacher.  After being tested with his brother, they found out he had Autism and he also received extra time for homework and tests but he didn't actually need that, as he always did the homework on normal time and even wrote more than what had been required.

Rock Candy was the only one he really talked to at school, as he didn't like the other students very much and would rather be alone than play with them. So it was only him and his brother, only on a few occasions did he play with others who weren't the teachers. Swirl was very anti-social and needed a lot of planned play dates and trips for him to open up more and learn that others also could like what he liked and he could have a good time with classmates.

Swirl got his cutie mark while helping decorate a birthday cake for themselves, his side was a lot more neat than that of Rock, who didn't quite have the touch for it. Swirl as his brother owns his own half of the store, selling cakes and baked goods. Their mother works with them both, helping whoever needs it, and is the main pony at the cashier, as well as on deliveries.

MarbleShoes Kids

Ship: Trouble Shoes + Marble "Droplet" Pie

Bright Fortune Bright is almost as tall as his father, scaring many upon meeting him for the first time, however, like his father Bright is a very kind hearted stallion. Bright's passion and cutie mark is that of traveling, exploring and finding old treasures. As a young colt, he would read all the stories of Daring Doo and wished he was on such journey's. Once he was old enough, he joined a expiation team, they traveled for 3 weeks in total before coming home with some old ponish's weaponry. Bright wears a headband and some cloth from his back to his behind.

Inky Hoof Inky compared to his brother's never saw the thrill of leaving their land. He loved to stay near Appleloosa and to go out to visit family but otherwise, he just wanted to stay near home, watching over his wild flowers and making jewelry with his mother. Inky is a lot like his mother, both in appearance and personality, he's only open and carefree with family.  Inky got his cutie mark while making his mother a birthday gift, including the wild flowers near their home and her name sake of a gem. Inky wears a necklace, earrings and whatever wild flowers are in season.

Obsidian Coat Obsidian has never been a person pony, rather linking the dark and quiet of the caves. As a young colt he would join his mother in the caves, helping her find crystals for her to make jewelry of and sell. But Obsidian was rather interested in exploring the deeper parts of the caves, wanting to see what lies in the depths. He would often be told to forget that dream, as it's too dangerous and Marble couldn't stand the thought of losing a child. But once he had turned 18, his only wish was to be allowed to cave dive and after a long discussion, he was allowed to go, if he did it with a team. Obsidian now works with a small but understanding team, they know of his anti-social behavior and don't mind much, talking mostly among themselves. Obsidian wears gauge earrings, snake bite piercing, bat wing shaped shades and a hoodie.

[whumpinggrounds]

Writing Facial Difference

As always, this is based in personal contact with individuals in the community I’m writing about, as well as personal research. Many of these things are subjective and limited in scope. Take everything with a grain of salt, and if you have an issue with anything I’ve said, or just a different perspective, please feel free to question, comment, or clarify!

Vocab

Facial difference is exactly what it sounds like. Many resources define it more technically as anything above the neck that is visibly different from the majority of other people. This term is used by everyone from burn survivors to people with cleft lips, to people with vitiligo. Note that facial difference does not necessarily mean disability.

Visible difference is related to facial difference, but even broader. Visible difference is anything about one’s body that is visibly different from the majority of other people. Not all disabilities are visible, and not all visible differences are disabilities.

Congenital differences are those that one is born with, which can be the result of an inherited condition, random mutation, or genetic condition. A genetic condition is congenital, but a congenital condition is not necessarily genetic. In the case of facial difference, examples include any number of craniofacial conditions.

Acquired differences are those that occur in the course of one’s life.  Examples include scars or burns. 

Episodic facial difference is a visible difference that comes and goes. Examples include rashes or skin irritation.

A condition is a set of symptoms that have a common cause. Condition is a good word to describe visible difference or disability in a neutral, nonspecific way.

A syndrome is a set of symptoms that occur together whose cause is not known or understood. Syndrome, while neutral, is a medicalized term and is not often used to describe visible difference or disability in a nonspecific way.

Survivor is preferred to victim in describing facial difference acquired through injury. For example, “burn survivor” is vastly preferred to “burn victim,” “acid attack survivor” is preferred to “acid attack victim.”

Someone may have a visible disability that makes their face look different, but this isn’t usually referred to as facial difference if it’s part of a broader diagnosis. For instance, people with achondroplasia, a common form of dwarfism, have distinctive facial features that are part of this condition, but aren’t likely to describe themselves as or identify with the facial difference community.

Avoid: deformed, disfigured, defect/birth defect. A specific diagnosis/description is preferred, or the more neutral phrasing of “genetic condition/medical condition.”

Disfigurement is in some places a legal term, so may be used in that context. I have not personally encountered or read of anyone who would describe themselves as disfigured or wants to be described that way in a personal context.

Medical Aspects

Does your character’s facial difference affect the way they breathe? They could use supplemental oxygen or an inhaler to open their airway. They might have a trach or a BiPap or C-Pap they use at night. What effect does this have on their ability to exert themselves physically or what environments they can tolerate?

Does your character’s facial difference affect the way that they eat or drink? Are there foods or liquids they can or cannot chew or swallow? Are they at increased risk for choking, and if so, how do they manage that? Do they eat or drink by mouth at all? How does this affect where they eat or drink, and with whom?

Does your character’s facial difference affect the way they speak? In order to produce standard speech, people make use of their throats, vocal cords, tongue, and lips. Are there sounds your character can’t make? Is the volume of their voice affected? If speech is difficult, what other communication methods might they use?

Does your character’s facial difference affect one or more of their five senses? How does that affect the rest of their life? What adaptations would they have made?

Does your character need to care for their face in different ways than a person without their difference? They might use different methods of skincare, take medications, or have increased support needs.

Does your character’s facial difference affect how their face moves, particularly in terms of expression? Facial expressions communicate a lot to the people around us, and help express emotions as well as form bonds with others. How does your character’s facial difference change their ability to visibly emote and connect? Do they worry about being misjudged or misunderstood?

These are just a few questions to get you thinking about how your character’s facial difference impacts the rest of their life. Since facial difference is an extremely broad category, I’m not going to give specific advice here, but having a specific diagnosis in mind, and knowing how it affects your character, is key to an accurate and thoughtful portrayal.

If the answer to all of these things are “no,” and truly the only affect of your character’s facial difference is that they look different, I gently suggest you think about why that is.

Describing Facial Difference

This is really tough to give advice about both because facial difference is very broad, and because it can be an extremely sensitive subject for many. The best way I can think to advise is to imagine that a loved one of yours has the facial difference that you’re describing, and they’re reading your description of it. It may be tempting to use dramatic or striking words, but they can be stigmatizing and hurtful to readers.

As listed above, please try not to use words like deformed, disfigured, or defect/birth defect. Try not to use descriptors that focus on how strange, frightening, or shocking someone’s face is. It is possible to describe facial difference accurately without using harmful or othering language. Even if it is your character doing it - “That’s how they see themselves! That’s not how others see them.” That’s a cop out. Please be thoughtful.

It’s okay to describe facial difference, but try not to dwell on it in description. Paragraphs that render exactly how your character’s face is different from others focus on that difference at the exclusion of all other characteristics. Let me say it again: It is totally okay to describe facial difference! Spending longer than necessary/longer on this than any other thing is not great.

Don’t forget to describe their other features! Sure, they have a port wine stain across their cheek, and that’s relevant to how they look, but they also have a big gorgeous nose! Or thin lips that they’re always biting! Or freckles that only show up in the summer! You get it.

A facial difference might affect how you describe the motion or emotion shown on your character’s face. If they have facial paralysis, you probably can’t write your character smiling or frowning. If they have a skin condition, a blush may present differently on their cheeks. It’s okay to write about how a facial difference affects these things - remember to make the portrayal consistent.

It’s okay for characters to have feelings about their facial differences. It’s certainly accurate to real life. Having negative feelings about one’s facial differences does not mean that someone, or a character, is shallow or unenlightened. People can live happy, fulfilling lives and still not like the way their face looks. 

That being said: Let your characters have their feelings about their facial difference, but if that is something your character thinks about obsessively, consider why that has to be the case. Think carefully about the way your character talks to and about themselves and their facial difference.

Let your character love their face! Let your character feel completely neutral about their facial difference! Let them hate the way other people react, but not think about it at all in private! There are lots of emotions to explore besides “I’m different = I’m ugly = I hate myself and my face.”

Finally: What do you (and maybe your character) consider to be an “average” face? A beautiful face? Do these ideas line up with others around you/your character? How might dissonance with a broader population affect these ideas, or put your character in conflict with others? Are there people out there who may not have the same condition (if your character has a medical condition) but may share those facial features? What impact does that have on your character?

Etiquette

Facial difference should not be stared at, pointed at, called out, or commented on by respectful people in your story. Obviously, your character could experience bullying or harassment, and that’s fine to write about, but be aware that however innocently intentioned, these things are rude at best.

Neither you as the writer nor other characters should refer to someone by their facial difference. Neither person-first nor identity-first language is appropriate when referring to someone by their physical difference.

To clarify in case these terms are unfamiliar: “guy with the partial jaw” is no better than “partial jaw guy” in this situation.

People with visible or facial difference may have strong feelings or memories around mirrors, being photographed, or seeing photos of themselves. This could be from discomfort with their appearance, but it could also be from photos being taken without their consent, or because of a dissonance between how they look now and how they used to, or a dissonance between how they think they look and how they actually look. This is something that you should probably flesh out and think about when developing your character.

Other characters should not disclose this character’s diagnosis. It is, however, okay for others to give information about a character, especially if that information is relevant. For example:

“He has facial dysplasia so he doesn’t like going out.” = Not good. “Sometimes people make comments about how he looks and how he eats. We should check in before we make plans to eat out.” = Much better.

This next is a controversial one, and people should feel free to weigh in. I am giving this advice on the word of people that I personally know, but other people may feel differently, and I respect that.

Here goes: It is okay to give people a heads up about someone’s facial difference, in writing or in reality. People can have involuntary reactions that are really hurtful, whether they mean to or not, and knowing in advance can help to limit the impact on someone who probably gets a lot of negative attention from strangers already. How those heads up are given, and if/when they are felt to be necessary, is a choice to think very hard about. But it can be useful and even necessary, especially with young kids. Appropriate examples below.

“Hey, just so you know, my friend Suzie who we’re going to meet has a medical condition that makes their face look different.”

That’s it. That’s all it needs to be.

Rethink

Villains with facial difference. Do you think maybe we have enough villains with facial difference already? The different = ugly = evil moralistic writing trope is a little played out, no?

A subtrope of this is “someone acquires a facial difference and becomes a villain. Once again, morality being tied to how someone looks is just not great messaging.

Shallow or evil character acquires a facial difference and Learns A Lesson. Disability is not a lesson, nor is it a punishment for bad morals or bad behavior. Think about the beliefs and messaging that undergird this narrative.

Only enlightened characters can see beyond facial difference. The entirety of Wonder is basically this, and real people with facial difference are tired of seeing it. Being able to treat people with facial difference with respect and dignity does not make anyone a saint, nor should others reacting to facial difference be the primary purpose of your character with facial differences.

Love will save you. Love, however true and real, will not solve someone’s insecurities, traumas, or deep feelings about their facial difference. Being truly, deeply, genuinely loved, whether romantically or platonically or familial-ly, is a powerful beautiful thing, but not a cure-all.

“I don’t even see your facial difference!” This doesn’t always ring very true. “I don’t think about it,” “don’t notice it,” or even “don’t care about it” can work better, but “I’m so accepting I don’t even see it” is a bit over-the-top.

Resources

In a truly depressing turn of events, when I looked this up, hoping to find more positive representation, I was met only with discussions of villains with facial difference. So. Limited resource section, here.

Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy was a bestseller when it first came out in 1994, and in my opinion, stands the test of time. It is an autobiography of a woman whose face is changed by surgery and chemotherapy through her experience of childhood cancer. It’s a nonfiction memoir that deals primarily with themes of illness and recovery, childhood, self-esteem, self-image, and the perceptions of others.

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley is a young adult novel about a girl with a port wine stain, which primarily deals with young love, self-esteem, and self-image.

Avatar: the Last Airbender notably features Zuko, a burn survivor with facial scarring who starts the series as a villain but is redeemed by the end of the show, in ways that do not exploit his facial difference as fuel for moral decay or moral growth.

I am begging people to add media they know that has characters with facial difference because those three are literally the only positive examples I can come up with. Not to sound like Tr*mp but: Very sad!

Anyway, that is what I have for now, will likely rehash much of this (and more!) if I write up something about visible difference. Let me know if you have requests, feel free to ask me questions, and as always - Happy writing!

[feminismisstillahatemovement]

The Federal Aviation Administration is actively recruiting workers who suffer “severe intellectual” disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency’s website. 

“Targeted disabilities are those disabilities that the Federal government, as a matter of policy, has identified for special emphasis in recruitment and hiring,” the FAA’s website states. “They include hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability and dwarfism.”

The initiative is part of the FAA’s “Diversity and Inclusion” hiring plan, which claims “diversity is integral to achieving FAA’s mission of ensuring safe and efficient travel across our nation and beyond.”

The FAA’s website shows the agency’s guidelines on diversity hiring were last updated on March 23, 2022. 

The FAA, which is overseen by Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s Department of Transportation, is a government agency charged with regulating civil aviation and employs roughly 45,000 people. 

All eyes have been on the FAA and airline industry in recent days, after a plug door on a Boeing 737 Max 9 blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight on Jan. 5.

Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, chairman of Do No Harm – a group of health care professionals, medical students and policymakers working to “protect health care from a radical, divisive, and discriminatory ideology” – told Fox News Digital that similar to the medical field, the aviation industry has an obligation to protect its travelers.

“The aviation industry has a responsibility for traveler safety just as the health care industry has a responsibility for patient safety. These responsibilities outweigh other factors when considering applicants to work in those fields. People with disabilities who can successfully complete the task should never face discrimination,” said Goldfarb, a retired professor and the former associate dean for curriculum at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

“Unfortunately,” Goldfarb said, identity politics is “creating opportunities for so-called oppressed groups by lowering standards for entry into those fields and thereby endangering the safety of those which it’s designed to serve. Some endeavors simply do not lend themselves to identity politics,” he added.

[thenightling]

Sometimes I think Wizards of the coast has no idea what they're doing...

They've decided to remove "witch" from things like Magic: The Gathering playing cards. And they are considering removing "Druid" and "Shaman" for the same reasons. The reason... They don't want to accidentally offend Wiccans and Neo-Pagans. And some people identify as "witch" for religious reasons.

Many Wiccans do use the term witch to mean "one who is enlightened." as the origin of the word comes from having your wits.

In fact Wicca (pronounced as Witch-a in Old English) was the masculine variation of the term, Wicce bein the feminine and witch being unisex.

But as with Fantasy dwarfs and little people who have the medical condition of dwarfism, we know the difference between the fantasy version and the real world.

I don't know of any Wiccan or Neo-Pagan offended by "witch" or "Druid" in fantasy literature or games.

It's not the same thing.

Also there seems to be some cognitive dissonance since the company is called Wizards of The Coast. Wizard comes from the same etymological root origin as Witch as it came from being "wise" or "wizened."

Also weird to announce this in October, the season where there are so many fantasy witches on display. It's almost like this was a publicity stunt to see if anyone would get angry at their misguided attempt at "sensitivity" gone to ridiculous lengths.

[ablednt]

Little people (dwarfism) 🤝 fat people

Experiencing extreme amounts of violence, dehumanization, and medical neglect as well as systematic oppression in areas like employment but have their advocacy be dismissed entirely and met with either "you just need to love yourself <3 that'll fix everything" or outward hostility.

[jolliestlolli]

While I'm on my brief 7D kick, I wanna share this idea that I came up with last night for a 7D Collage AU and then wrote down some concepts for before it hit 1 AM. The basic synopsis is:

At Jollywood University, there are a total of 7 boys with dwarfism attending, and none even know that there are 7 to begin with. After a series of comical mishaps, these 7 boys learn of each other's existence and decide to band together, becoming the only members of a special club dedicated to assisting Dean Delightful. After everyone starts jokingly calling them the Seven Dwarves, they decide to embrace it, but they need to come up with something slightly cooler sounding, so they settle on the 7D, and even adopt the nicknames of the characters they best represent.

Donald “Doc” Damascus

Engineering Major/Minor in Health Science

Overachiever to the max

The textbook example of Savant Syndrome. Probably headed straight to Gifted Kid Burnout Lane

Gerald “Grumpy” Grober

Physical Education Major

Bad attitude

Could be considered the “jock”, but would prefer to not be referred to as such because it makes him sound like a jerk (Which he is not, according to himself)

The school's Wrestling Club champion

Harold “Happy” Hartman

Music Major

Technically not allowed to play guitar in the dorms between the hours of 10 PM and 7 AM, but that never stopped him

Doesn’t realize people are making fun of him when they call him “Happy”

Donald’s first cousin

Benjamin “Bashful” Broke

English Major

Generalized Anxiety Disorder up the wazoo, has tried medication but they’ve never worked

No one has seen his real face, not many people are certain he has one

Darrel “Dopey” Damascus

Biology Major

Partially deaf, uses hearing aids

Mute

Loves animals. Like Happy, not being allowed to bring them into the dorms never stopped him

Donald’s adopted brother

Steven “Sneezy” Schultz

Theater Arts Major

Has asthma and is allergic to basically everything

Likes video games and making Youtube videos in his spare time (Has like 5 subscribers and 2 of them are his parents)

Secretly does Drag Shows over the weekends to make some extra money (epipens and inhalers are not cheap yall)

Simon “Sleepy” Sanders

Psychology Major (idfk with this one)

Narcolepsy, plus albinism

Relies on his roommate Steven to jot down notes for him most of the time because he can’t stay awake in class if it would save his life.

I haven't come up with designs for them yet, and it's possible I never will. So if anyone else wants to try then please be my guest

[madamepestilence]

I want to see more disabled people in fiction. I want to see an elf with medical dwarfism. I want to see a deaf person surviving the end of the world. I want to see more blind crew members with unique relationships to seeing like Geordi. I want to see starship captains with fibromyalgia. I want to see someone in an adventuring party with chronic fatigue syndrome. I want to see dwarfs piloting rocket-powered wheelchairs. Give me more disabled people in fiction damnit

[a-little-revolution]

Hi - I'm a relatively new follower, but I love the variety in what you put out.

I work in healthcare and regularly give talks on very basic disability concepts (why eugenics is wrong, how to get AAC access in hospitals, shut the hell up about parents' rights, don't use slurs in educational talks, etc.).

Is there anything you'd recommend specifically for doctors, nurses, and other care providers in terms of a) not creating problems, and b) actually providing quality healthcare for little people? Assume the target audience knows nothing.

Hello! Welcome!! Thank you so much, I try ^^

I gave a talk a while ago on trans inclusive healthcare, and included a lot of disability related things since there's plenty of intersection. As I'm sure you know, the medical system still has a long way to go when it comes to treating disabled folk (and frankly anyone who isn't a thin, white, cishet male).

With dwarfism specifically, the learning curve is astronomical - here's my thoughts: (And note, I am someone who's had roughly fourteen surgeries, countless scans, and endless doctors visits - so I think I can call myself an expert lol)

The first thing is just establishing basic knowledge on dwarfism - how it presents in a person, how it affects mobility and range of motion, what the terminology is etc. Knowing the related conditions is vital as well - my Achondroplasia for instance comes with sleep apnea, respiratory conditions, arthritis, club foot, loose knees, etc. I'm often the expert on my own condition, but I shouldn't have to be relied on as a teacher in traumatic situations.

Make waiting rooms, doctor's offices, surgical rooms, etc. accessible to those bellow 5 feet! Most of the time I cannot get up on an exam table as they are too high and I am not provided a stool without making a special request. The same goes for xray tables, gurneys, etc. I cannot express the frustration of coming into every medical room and not being able to sit or lay down without assistance.

Respect and autonomy are big things that get missed - assumptions that my life isn't worth living, that my pain isn't real, that I don't participate in daily activities, that I don't have sex or want children etc. are just some of the misconceptions I come across with medical professionals and their assistants. Last year during and x-ray was the first time a medical professional ASKED before touching me.

For now this is what I can think of, I thank you for your patience as I do have CPTSD from my medical trauma. I've talked more on being a patient with dwarfism here! Hope this helps!

-Elliot (they/them)

[sirenjose]

Analysis of Galatea Claude (+ Holloway Sanatorium Theory)

Holloway could be where Simon was sent following his accident. His trailer did mention “sanatorium”, which is the term used in the CN and JP versions of Annie’s letter, while the English version of Annie’s letter calls it a “nursing home”, which matches with the term used regarding where Simon was sent in Lily’s deductions and backstory.

Simon and Lily, as part of the Barriere family, would be part of the middle/upper class and thus would qualify for the Holloway Sanatorium.

Also, as Simon was said to have suffered “severe brain and body trauma, becoming paraplegic, mentally regressed to a toddler, demented, and unable to speak”, this could match with how Holloway Sanatorium was said to care for those with mental health problems and learning disabilities. With this facility being for the upper class, that could also explain why Lily needs a lot of money for Simon’s medical bills, especially as, unlike Annie, Simon wouldn’t be in the “temporary ward”. He’d be long-term.

I know some have said Simon could’ve actually been sent to White Sand Street Asylum, in part due to Galatea appearing during Lily’s trailer while Lily was visiting her brother.

Holloway Sanatorium was built by Thomas Holloway as an asylum for the mentally ill in Surrey. They used the name “sanatorium” instead of asylum due to the “stigma attached to being admitted to an asylum”.

So it technically is an asylum, just with emphasis on those who were better-off.

It was said “it was for a superior kind of inmate, somewhere between those who had only small means, and those who were more comfortably off but who could not have afforded the luxury of individual private care (although private rooms were also provided here). The original purpose was to cater for ‘200 patients, divided into four classes, 1st, 2nd, sick and feeble, and excited. All day-rooms, dormitories and single rooms had a south and south-western aspect. Attendants’ rooms were placed between day-rooms and dormitories with a glass window or doors of communication that allowed them to keep the patients under observation’”.

In its first year, 73 patients were admitted, whose primary diagnoses included anxiety, melancholia, mania and dementia. Some patients worked in the gardens or farm, or in indoor domestic work, while during leisure they could stroll through the grounds, or play tennis, croquet, or cricket.

In 1888, “gentlewomen” were the largest number admitted “a category made up of unmarried women of a good class, but perhaps without much in the way of financial resources”. In 1892, it had 615 patients being treated for insanity caused by “domestic and business troubles, worry and overwork”. Other reasons given were “influenza, drink, nervous shock and sunstroke”.

This would at least connect to and explain Annie being there (the large number of females, the mention of causes being worry, and for women of good class but without much in the way of financial resources). Simon could also fit based on his own mental and bodily issues.

But I wanted to also bring up the idea its possible Galatea could’ve been sent here for a time too.

Galatea was born to the Claudes, who are described as a “family of artists”, and we see in Galatea’s 1st deduction that she got started as a sculptor and displaying her skill from an early age.

We see she progresses quite quickly according to her 2nd deduction, which mentions her surpassing (likely her teacher’s) expectations and who wants to bring Galatea to Paris or Florence for the better “artistic atmosphere” and “expand her vision and benefit her artistic cultivation”.

Unfortunately, when Galatea was 18, she was diagnosed with dwarfism.

We know the Sanatorium was primarily for those with mental issues. Galatea’s 3rd deduction does have a doctor mentioning her having a “rare illness” that will cause her “serious challenges to her physically and mentally” in the long term. So maybe she could’ve been sent there right before and for a time after her diagnosis.

Dwarfism doesn’t typically affect a person’s intellectual ability. Those with dwarfism mostly all have normal intellectual capacities, but this is during the Victorian era, when these sorts of issues weren’t as well understood. In the Victorian era, they commonly associated physical differences or disabilities with intellectual or mental impairment and could be subjected to prejudices or discriminatory treatment. People with these sort of disabilities were seen as defective back then, with their issues believed to affect their ability to work and even their morals (due to the belief physical appearance was believed to reveal a person’s moral compass and chances at success).

This would actually connect to Galatea’s deduction 4, where we see someone saying about Galatea that “tangible beauty is out of her reach. She’s just a ‘child’ after all”. This shows that people thought Galatea as someone stuck, physically and mentally, as a “child”, which connects to how this deduction also talks about the “price of being ‘naïve’”.

Along this same line, Galatea’s 5th deduction, likely by her teacher again, says that Galatea was unable to “adapt to her new life in Florence”. Her teacher believes the reason for this is because Galatea is “still too immature, both physically and mentally”, before saying she may need a “change of environment to stimulate her talent once more”.

This again proves people saw Galatea’s dwarfism as affecting/stunting her mentally, not just physically.

Besides this, regarding Galatea’s inability to “adapt” should refer to how her backstory says “she realized that her soul would be imprisoned in this young girl's shell forever, and she fell into endless resentment. In anger, her creativity also entered a bottleneck period”. This creative “bottleneck” is why Galatea’s teacher suggests she change environment to “stimulate her talent once more”.

Dwarfism shouldn’t actually have any affect on Galatea’s ability to sculpt, so as we see this bottleneck was created by Galatea’s own feelings rather than any inability. Galatea was frustrated at the fact she’d forever remain looking like a child. Despite how mature she actually was, she would only ever been seen as a child, when she wanted to be viewed as equals and an adult. This belief that Galatea was only a child would also mean Galatea wouldn’t be taken as seriously. They would only ever focus on the fact that she was “defective”. Despite how vast her creativity or imagination was, or how great her mind was, Galatea was stuck on the fact she would forever be “imprisoned in this young girl’s shell”.

This connects to how Galatea is stated to like “beautiful, mature women”, something she wants to be and dreams about, but is unfortunately hampered by her being “imprisoned” in her current body due to her condition.

This was before Galatea gained her self-confidence. After her diagnosis, she possibly had a fair amount of self-doubt, as well as may have lacked proper support, not to mention felt the weight of how everyone around her saw her as basically less than she was due to her issue.

These were the things hampering Galatea’s ability to create. She was likely unable to focus on anything besides her issue and how people treated her as a result (which could also imply she did lack support and/or didn’t even have a sympathetic ear to listen to her feelings).

It was around this time that Galatea was said to have received an invitation from a “mysterious wealthy businessman” who “invited her to go to his home to make a statue for him”. This relates to Galatea’s deduction 6, which lists one of the envelopes as being a “check signed by Baron DeRoss”.

When she returned from this appointment, she came back “bursting with strong creative desire and dazzling sculpting talent, as if she was a different person”.

Galatea’s 3rd letter is likely a description of what she did for Baron DeRoss during this time.

The task he assigned her was to restore a “collection of sculptures dedicated to the Muses”. They were made using a technique that Galatea had imitated during her studies in Florence to “produce a number of animal sculptures”. 1 of these animal sculptures she made was mentioned in her 1st letter to be a “bird” she describes as “imprisoned in stone”.

The reason she describes it that way is to parallel herself. She is also someone “imprisoned” in a body that won’t change, just like stone. It is possible these animal sculptures were the ones she created during her “bottleneck” while she was still consumed by her “resentment” and frustration over her condition.

Her deduction 6 says there are several envelopes that had an “incomplete wax seal that seems to be part of a fern pattern”, which means they came from Oletus Manor and thus that Galatea and Baron DeRoss had more correspondence between each other before Galatea got the invitation and went to the manor. It is possible it was during this correspondence, before she got an invitation, that she sent him the bird sculpture. It’d fit with how Galatea was at that time before the trip to Baron DeRoss’ manor, as she describes the bird as “A meaningless, disorderly, insignificant work of which the spirit gradually died”, which relates to Galatea’s creative bottleneck while she was still consumed by resentment and frustration. This would explain how Baron DeRoss could’ve noticed how Galatea used the same technique as creator of the muse statues, and that would be why he invited her. This would also explain why Galatea says in her 1st letter that “when I see it again” (referring to the bird) she “destroyed it”. She made the bird, then sent it to Baron DeRoss, then when she was invited and went to his manor, she saw it again, and after seeing and studying the Muse statues, she decided to destroy the bird she made.

Unfortunately, we don’t know for sure yet who the creator of the muse statues was, the one who is described as “not a world-renowned sculptor” but was “a genius favored by art yet scorned by fate, has long since returned to ash, the tragic victim of a vicious fire”.

Although, Alice during Ashes of Memory 1 does say “These sculptures are mechanisms designed by Mr. Lapadura, and all the doors in this manor can be opened with the nightingale’s song”, though we know he has not died in a fire yet, as Burke is at least around through game 10 (with Tracy, Luca, Charles, and Bonbon). That could mean Burke may have modified the sculptures to have the mechanisms used to open the secret doors in the manor, but may not have been the one to actually sculpt them. He just designed the “mechanisms” in them.

While at the manor, Galatea studies the Muse statues and spends “an inordinate amount of time on my task, far more than necessary” due to making “a number of discoveries, ones that were not mentioned to me before”. As for the discoveries Galatea refers to, one of them is how there are “two genuine sculptures of the Muse Terpsichore in different poses”, while the 2nd discovery was “a near-perfect counterfeit of Calliope”.

Regarding Terpsichore, Galatea says it is rare to see 2 of the same figure in 1 set, and generally only happens when “a piece is lost during the sculpting process, forcing the artist to complete the original set with a new replacement”.

As for Calliope, Galatea initially says she has an “imperfection… left by her creator” before then commenting “Perhaps it isn't an imperfection at all, but an incomplete section of the sculpture? Much like the words written on the counterfeit's back (which have been rubbed away), perhaps it's simply waiting for the artist to return and finish what was started”. Galatea states Baron DeRoss needs to make a decision regarding it, likely regarding what to do or whether to complete the “incomplete section of the sculpture”. It is when he makes this decision Galatea feels she’ll return to the manor to “ensure that she is made whole”.

Besides that 1 incomplete section, Galatea finishes “restoring” what she can of the other statues. This is likely happening around the time Baron DeRoss (Orpheus) is restoring the rest of the manor and its grounds after he took over (after the manor had been ruined following the DeRoss tragedy when Alice’s parents were killed). Galatea obviously becomes obsessed over those statues and completing the one imperfection of the near-perfect counterfeit of Calliope. This could tie to how Galatea in her 1st letter says she “used to pursue the praise of fools. But now I don't have time to care for such trivial matters”, which fits with how we know Galatea is an “obsessed and crazy perfectionist” based on her design notes.

It is because of this trip that Galatea in her 1st letter talks about learning of the “fragile existence of the body itself” as well as “heard the divine birth of a sculpture” and the “truth of art breaking out of its shell”. This connects to the bird, which she described as “imprisoned in stone”, and to Galatea herself, and could relate to her now thinking about how to essentially break it and herself out of their “imprisonment”. This could tie to how the design notes say her goal is to “create a most perfect self” and how she “immerses herself as her own creation when sculpting”.

Her condition at first had made it seem like her goal would be “impossible to reach in her life” due to the “sick joke destiny played on her”. She saw herself and her creations as “ordinary”, “imperfect”, and “unable to be loved”. This realization, once she heard her diagnosis, caused her to be consumed by “hate, rage, and madness”. After her trip to the manor, working to restore the Muse statues, Galatea now had her own “muse” and a strong desire (due to her perfectionism) to come back to the manor so she could complete Calliope.

The experience changed her. Especially with all the time she had to think, I believe this helped rebuild her confidence and erase whatever self-doubts she had, with the help of her fixation on her goals, allowing her to break free of her earlier creative bottleneck. Rather than Galatea suddenly having so much new talent after her trip, I believe it was talent she already had but couldn’t access due until she broke free of the psychological chains created by herself and others due to their views regarding her condition.

She returns to Florence from Oletus Manor, eventually telling her father that “I’ve learned so much more from this trip than when I was in Florence previously”. As a result of what she’s learned, she tells him that she has “decided to end my study here and return home soon” and to reserve “side hall in the annex for my creative purposes”, making it clear she’s gotten past her bottleneck. We know from Galatea’s backstory that her family were initially “very happy” at her change and talent.

Some time later, we know from Galatea’s 8th deduction that she received “Volume 10 of Ovid's The Metamorphoses”. Based on the stamp with a fern pattern, this means this book came from Baron DeRoss. In Book 10 of Ovid’s The Metamorphoses are a number of stories, including the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice as well as the tale of Pygmalion and the Statue.

In this book, Pygmalion’s story is sung by Orpheus after he loses Eurydice the 2nd time. Pygmalion was a king of Cyprus who swore off women after seeing the vices of some (the Propoitides who had become prostitutes) that lead shameful lives. Instead, he devoted himself to art and sculpted a statue out of ivory of what he felt was the ideal women. He ended up falling in love with his creation (that he’d poured his heart and soul into) due to its beauty. Pygmalion named the statue Galatea and treated it like a real woman. When Aphrodite’s festival day comes, he prayed to her, asking for a wife like his statue, and the goddess brings the statue itself to life, which Pygmalion marries.

This connects very well to Galatea’s accessory Marble Bust, which has the description “It's a shame that it will never be real”.

Pygmalion wanted to create the ideal women after seeing the shameful lives some lived. To Galatea, her current condition is like the shameful women, and like how Pygmalion wanted to create an image of the ideal woman in response, Galatea’s goal is to create a perfect version of herself in response to her diagnosis. We know she works on this upon returning to her parents’ home as Galatea’s deduction 9 is about a “sculpture of a female named ‘Galatea’” that demonstrated Galatea’s “delicate” technique but also displayed the ideal version of herself based on the description of the “elegant curves of the body and tension of life bursting out of it will make it difficult to look away”. Deduction 9 is titled “Effect of Anticipation: You will become the most perfect creation”.

Galatea was finally received admiration and acclaim, as the review sates “the Claude's upcoming star is rising again” but as we heard in Galatea’s 1st letter, she no longer cares about the “praise of fools”, instead describing it as “trivial matters”. All that matters is creating her masterpiece, the image of what Galatea imagines her “perfect self” to look like.

She becomes obsessed with it just like how Pygmalion fell in love with his own creation. Her backstory states her parents noticed she spent more and more time in her work room, to the point she neglected eating and drinking. Her parents became even more concerned when they noticed she “often talked to the statues, as if they were alive”.

This is just like how Pygmalion treated his statue like a real woman before Aphrodite made it real.

This continued until one day, seeing Galatea talking to her statue again, Galatea’s father threw it off the terrace in a fit of range. Unexpectedly for him, Galatea jumps after it “without hesitation”. This connects to Galatea’s deduction 10, which describes the “Broken pieces of plaster scattered all over the floor” of Galatea’s sculpture, the image Galatea created of her “perfect self”.

It is said there were pieces for everything except the head. This could mean Galatea hadn’t finished her creation yet, and still needed to complete the head before her father destroyed the statue.

Galatea as a result of her jumping off the terrace after her creation becomes hemiplegic (paralyzed). This incident also results in Galatea’s parents deciding their daughter was crazy and thus sent her to an asylum, where they used “various inhuman ‘treatment methods’ on Galatea, but her condition did not improve”.

Galatea seems to have eventually ended up at White Sand Street Asylum based on the existence of the headless statue from that trailer appearing in 1 of the cells of White Sand Street Asylum in game.

I think it’s possible Galatea could’ve been at Holloway Sanatorium at least temporarily (then transferred later to White Sand Street Asylum when Galatea’s madness worsened. Or maybe she was here before her trip to the DeRoss manor, as people saw dwarfism as something that also affected a person’s mental abilities, though I prefer the idea that she at least could’ve been at Holloway first then transferred to White Sand later if anything).

We know Galatea was restrained eventually and put in what looks like a cell based on her trailer.

Holloway Sanatorium did have and employ physical restraints, such as straps and jackets, such as to stop patients from injuring themselves or others. Back then, it was more commonly utilized than it is today (not until the 1950s that it was limited to unless a patient was brought in by the police). Seclusion was another form of restraint, with patients confined to ‘strong rooms’ which contained only a bed, chair, and small table.  There were four protected or ‘padded’ cells at Holloway, 2 in the male ward and 2 in the female one.  In these rooms, the walls were literally padded, and the floor was made from a grey, rubbery, waterproof material. A drain ran around the edge of the room.  There would be a mattress on the floor, strong canvas sheets, and a rubber pot was provided for sanitation. The ward doctor had to order a patient to be secluded, which would last from 8am to 8pm, at which point the order had to be renewed.

Holloway did also employ treatments that would be considered inhumane today, including hydrotherapy and “continuous baths,” in which the patient would sit for hours in a tub of hot water and have cold water poured over their head. We already mentioned they used physical restraints like straps, jackets, and locked gloves as well as padded rooms. They also did other things including use hypnotic/sedative drugs like chloral and sulfonal, central nervous system depressants like paraldehyde, electrotherapy, force feeding, and more.

So this would still fit the description of where Galatea was sent.

Her backstory states that she refused to communicate with living people and would carve anything she could get her hands on. In her backstory trailer, we see her carving an apple, which matches her Fleeting Beauty accessory. It then says she “always carved out the same face and named it after herself, but due to the limitation of materials, she could only carve out a head before being caught and then treated again”.

Galatea naming her masterpiece after herself once again connects back to Pygmalion naming his ideal woman Galatea as well as to how this creation is meant to be Galatea’s image of a perfect version of herself.

As we know, Galatea gradually fell into madness, and it was said she was sent to a “remote yard” with a single female nurse taking care of her. This is the same female nurse we see in Galatea’s trailer.

Holloway did at least have a courtyard, and we’ve already discussed the “strong rooms”, which could be described as “remote” and away from the majority of everything else.

When Thomas Holloway was first working to build the sanatorium, he did set out for it not to hold any that were “epileptic, paralysed or dirty” and “no patient was to remain there for more than a year, no hopeless cases were to be admitted, there was to be no readmission” though we know this rule was broken in its early years (Thomas died before the sanatorium was completed), with plenty of examples of patients that stayed more than 1 year, as well as patients that were admitted despite being described as “hopeless cases”, paralyzed, or epileptic. The Sanatorium, despite what it was built for, was primarily concerned about profit (which is why it started doing voluntary admittance to attract customers).

As for the nurse assigned to Galatea, we know Galatea kills her, then placed on her headless body (a “mature woman”) “Galatea's head, which she had sculpted countless times” to complete her “masterpiece”. After that, Galatea disappears, leaving the “blood-soaked hospital room” behind, which the building staff would later find.

We do know Galatea eventually makes her way back to Oletus Manor to attend game 0, the very first game held.

Side not regarding where Galatea was held.

During the Stormy Night Surprise anniversary event, after Succubus is arrested by Sheriff/Officer Jose, Inference goes to her later to ask about Monstrous Bird. He finds her at “an asylum reserved for the wealthy dealing with sensitive familial issues”.

 An “asylum” for the “wealthy” fits Holloway Sanatorium (with the “sensitive familial issues” tying to people sent there due to mental issues). And if Succubus was “accustomed to this kind of situation”, that could mean she’s been here before, which could leave an opening for the idea Galatea (looking at the parallels) could’ve been at a mental facility more than just the once (potentially before she was ever paralyzed?).

[tiredsn0w]

Hello! (So sorry if this was asked several times, the page kept glitching and I wasn’t sure if it was sent)

I was curious about what mental/physical conditions the characters have, if any. (Of course, for some it’s somewhat obvious, but for others it’s a little less clear, so I just wanted to check)

Hope you have a lovely day/night! :)

It only sent the ask once, don't worry!

I'm assuming by the characters, you mean SCP-6118 and other keplers. And I would be more than happy to answer :)

Content warning for mentions of addiction, self-harm, and suicide.

In order of chronological appearance as per the Altitudes Hub:

Unit 5a82 / SCP-6118 Mentally, I'd say SPD (Schizoid Personality Disorder) and PTSD for absolute certain. (I plan to write more about them as well, though the latter has been touched on a lot already.)

He dealt with a self-harm addiction for an extensive period of time, on and off for some years to not get in the way of intensive physical training (as much as possible). He struggles with suicidal thoughts throughout the story, though never really acts on it, more like throwing himself into severe harm's way on purpose.

I've also seen people interpret him as having ADHD &/or ASD, though I've found this is highly dependent on the person reading him. I'm sure some of my own has unintentionally bled out onto the page so to speak.

Physically, he's albino and would probably qualify for a diagnosis of dwarfism. He has chronic pain and fatigue, mostly global and musculoskeletal related. In an upcoming Tale I plan to touch on more severe neurological issues like acephalgic (aura-only) migraines (why he gets nauseous when he's stressed) and perhaps cardiac issues.

Some kind of hormonal/gonadal difference or DSD like undervirilization could also easily be assumed.

-

The Handler It has BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) and a comorbid substance abuse disorder, as a way of self-medicating for the horrible and debilitating symptoms it has.

It also has ectodermal atrichia congenita, meaning it has absolutely no hair on its body, and never did. Otherwise it's physically unremarkable besides for having lighter skin and eyes (not to the point of albinism), and being slightly smaller than normal for a Two.

-

Unit 4b80 It struggles with survivor's guilt after everything it went through, and other guilt, just guilt all around.

Possibly some OCD behaviours as well, related or otherwise, but nothing concrete has been written so far about it.

-

Unit 7cb7 It has chronic pain-- mostly nerve pain-- in its lower limbs after losing them in the explosion, because while regen tanks can do an enormous amount, when regenerating that much tissue, it can be tricky to get all the nerves in the right place.

Also chronic fatigue, because bodies hold on to traumatic events (whether physically traumatic to the body or mentally/emotionally) and getting blown up is a really physically traumatic thing.

I've been pondering 7cb7 having below-knee prosthetics, but it hasn't become relevant in my writing yet.

-

Units 3f32 & 3f33 They are identical twins due to a mishap in the gestational process where the cloned cells doubled and divided into two organisms. Other than being slightly tall and more towards the hyperpigmented side, they're in surprisingly sound mental and physical health for Twos who joined the rebellion a while back.

-

That should be most of it. Feel free to send me additional asks with any follow-up questions (or comment/reblog this post). I know it was quite a wall of text, but I wanted to touch on all of the things.

I hope whatever time of day it is for you, it's going well! Thank you so much for the ask!

[sillylotrpolls]

You ever wonder about certain disabilities in Middle Earth?

Technically, I believe the Middle Earth term is "Mannish woman" or just "woman" (and poll responders quite liked "She-Man"), but whatever.

I duck-duck-go'ed, and Wikipedia suggested "dwarfism" is an acceptable term for the condition which can be caused by a variety of genetic disorders. Incidentally, there was also this note:

The terms "dwarf", "little person", "LP", and "person of short stature" are generally considered acceptable by most people affected by these disorders.[17] However, the plural "dwarfs" as opposed to "dwarves" is generally preferred in the medical context, possibly because the plural "dwarves" was popularized by author J. R. R. Tolkien, describing a race of characters in his The Lord of the Rings books resembling Norse dwarfs.[38]

[dr-smita-goel-homeopathy-clinic]

*Dr. Smita Goel Homeopathy Clinic*

www.thehomeopathyclinic.co.in

A person with short stature, or restricted growth, does not grow as tall as other people of the same gender, age, and ethnicity. The person's height is below the 3rd percentile.

Short stature can be a variant of normal growth, or it may indicate a disorder or condition.

Growth rate is an important indicator of overall health. Children who do not reach the 5th percentile by the age of 5 years are said to be small for gestational age (SGA). A pediatrician will look out for signs of "failure to thrive."

Early intervention can prevent future problems in many cases.

Normally, at 8 years of age, a child's arm span is around the same as their height. If these measurements are out of proportion, this may be a sign of disproportionate short stature (DSS), sometimes known as "dwarfism."

Fast facts on short stature

Here are some key points about short stature. More detail is in the main article.

• Short stature can happen for a wide range of reasons, including having small parents, malnutrition, and genetic conditions such as achondroplasia.

• Proportionate short stature (PSS) is when the person is small, but all the parts are in the usual proportions. In disproportionate short stature (DSS), the limbs may be small compared with the trunk.

• If short stature results from a growth hormone (GH) deficiency, GH treatment can often boost growth.

• Some people may experience long-term medical complications, but intelligence is not usually affected.

Causes

Growth depends on a complex range of factors, including genetic makeup, nutrition, and hormonal influences.

The most common cause of short stature is having parents whose height is below average, but around 5 percent of children with short stature have a medical condition.

Conditions that can underlie short stature include:

• Undernutrition, due to a disease or lack of nutrients

• Hypothyroidism, leading to a lack of growth hormone

• A tumor in the pituitary gland

• Diseases of the lungs, heart, kidneys, liver, or gastrointestinal tract

• Conditions that affect the production of collagen and other proteins

• Some chronic diseases, such as celiac disease and other inflammatory disorders

• Mitochondrial disease, which can affect the body in different ways, including growth

Sometimes, an injury to the head during childhood can lead to reduced growth.

A lack of growth hormone can also lead to delayed or absent sexual development.

Rheumatologic diseases, such as arthritis, are linked to short stature. This may happen because of the disease, or as a result of the glucocorticoid treatment, which can affect the release of growth hormone.

Disproportionate short stature (DSS) usually stems from a genetic mutation that affects the development of bone and cartilage and undermines physical growth.

The parents may not have short stature, but they may pass on a condition that is linked to DSS, such as achondroplasia, mucopolysaccharide disease, and spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (SED).

Types

There are different types and causes of short stature, or restricted growth, and they will present differently. Because the range of conditions is so broad, restricted growth can be classified in various ways.

One categorization is:

• Variant restricted growth

• Proportionate short stature (PSS)

• Disproportionate short stature (DSS)

Each of these categories includes a number of types and causes of short stature.

Variant restricted growth

Sometimes a person is small but otherwise healthy. This can be referred to as variant restricted growth. It may happen for genetic or hormonal reasons.

If the parents are also small, this can be called familial short stature (FSS). If it stems from a hormonal issue, it is a constitutional delay in growth and adolescence (CDGA).

The limbs and the head develop in proportion with the spine, and the individual is otherwise healthy.

Growth happens throughout the body, so the legs, for example, are in proportion with the spine.

In most cases, the individual's parents are also small, but sometimes small stature happens because the body does not produce enough growth hormone (GH), or the body does not process growth hormone properly. This is known as GH insensitivity. Hypothyrodism can lead to low hormone production.

Growth hormone treatment during childhood may help.

Proportionate short stature (PSS)

Sometimes, overall growth is restricted, but the person's body is in proportion, and the individual has a related health problem. This is known as proportionate short stature (PSS).

If the individual is heavy for their height, this can suggest a hormone problem. The problem could be hypothyroidism, excess glucorticoid production, or too little GH.

A person who is small and their weight is low for their height may be experiencing malnutrition, or they may have a disorder that leads to malabsorption.

Whatever the underlying reason, if it affects overall growth, it may impact development in at least one body system, so treatment is needed.

During adulthood, a person with this type of restricted growth is more likely to experience:

• osteoporosis

• cardiovascular problems

• reduced muscle strength

Rarely, there may be cognitive problems, or problems with thinking. This depends on the cause of the short stature.

Disproportionate short stature (DSS)

Disproportionate short stature (DSS) is linked to a genetic mutation. The parents are usually of average height. As with other types of short stature, a range underlying causes is possible.

An individual with DSS will be small in height, and they will have other unusual physical features. These may be visible at birth, or they may develop in time as the infant develops.

Most individuals will have an average-sized trunk and short limbs, but some people may have a very short trunk and shortened, but disproportionately large limbs. Head size may be disproportionately large.

Intelligence or cognitive abilities are unlikely to be affected unless the person has hydrocephalus, or too much fluid around the brain.

Achondroplasia underlies around 70 percent of cases of DSS. It affects around 1 in 15,000 to 1 in 40,000 people.

Features include:

• an average-sized trunk

• short limbs, especially the upper arms and legs

• short fingers, possibly with a wide space between the middle and ring fingers

• limited mobility in the elbows

• a large head with a prominent forehead and flattened bridge of the nose

• bowed legs

• lordosis, a progressive development of a swayed lower back

• average adult height of 4 feet, or 122 cm

Hypochondroplasia is a mild form of achondroplasia. It may be difficult to differentiate between familial short stature and achondroplasia.

Achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia result from a genetic mutation.

Genetic conditions, such as Turner syndrome, Down syndrome, or Prader Willi syndrome, are also linked to DSS.

Diagnosis

Some types of short stature can be diagnosed at birth. In other cases, routine visits to a pediatrician should reveal any abnormal growth pattern.

The doctor will record the child's head circumference, height, and weight.

If the doctor suspects restricted growth, they will carry out a physical examination, look at the child's medical and family history, and possibly carry out some tests.

These may include:

An x-ray, to assess for problems with bone development

An insulin tolerance test, to check for a deficiency in the growth hormone insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).

In this test, insulin is injected into a vein, causing blood glucose levels to drop. Normally, this would trigger the pituitary gland to release growth hormone (GH). If GH levels are lower than normal, there may be a GH deficiency.

Other tests include:

• a thyroid-stimulating hormone test, to check for hypothyroidism

• a complete blood count, to test for anemia

• metabolic tests, to assess liver and kidney function

• erythrocyte sedimentation and C-reactive protein tests, to assess for inflammatory bowel disease

• urine tests can check for enzyme deficiency disorders

• tissue transglutinase and immunoglobulin A tests, for celiac disease

• imaging scans, such as an x-ray of the skeleton and the skull or an MRI, can detect problems with the pituitary gland or hypothalamus

• bone marrow or skin biopsies may help confirm conditions associated with short stature

Treatment

Treatment will depend on the cause of the short stature.

If there are signs of malnutrition, the child may need nutritional supplements or treatment for a bowel disorder or other condition that is preventing them from absorbing nutrients.

If growth is restricted or delayed because of a hormonal problem, GH treatment may be necessary.

Pediatric hormone treatment: In children who produce too little GH, a daily injection of hormone treatment may stimulate physical growth later in life. Medications, such as somatropin, may eventually add 4 inches, or 10 centimeters, to adult height.

Adult hormone treatment

: Treatment for adults can help protect against complications, for example, cardiovascular disease and low bone mineral density.

Somatropin, also known as recombinant GH, might be recommended for people who:

• have a severe growth hormone deficiency

• experience impaired quality of life

• are already receiving treatment for another pituitary hormone deficiency

Adult patients generally self-administer daily with an injection.

Adverse effects of somatropin include headache, muscle pain, edema, or fluid retention, problems with eyesight, joint pain, vomiting, and nausea.

The patient may receive treatment to control chronic conditions, such as heart disease, lung disease, and arthritis.

Treatment for DSS

As DSS often stems from a genetic disorder, treatment focuses mainly on the complications.

Some patients with very short legs may undergo leg lengthening. The leg bone is broken and then fixed into a special frame. The frame is adjusted daily to lengthen the bone.

This does not always work, it takes a long time, and there is a risk of complications, including:

• pain

• the bone forming badly or at an inappropriate rate

• infection

• deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot in a vein

Other possible surgical treatments include:

• use of growth plates, where metal staples are inserted into the ends of long bones where growth takes place, to help bones grow in the right direction

• inserting staples or rods to help the spine form the right shape

• increasing the size of the opening in the bones of the spine to reduce pressure on the spinal cord

Regular monitoring can reduce the risk of complications.

Complications

A person with DSS may experience a number of complications.

These include:

• arthritis later in life

• delayed mobility development

• dental problems

• bowed legs

• hearing problems and otitis media

• hydrocephalus, or too much fluid in the brain cavities

• hunching of the back

• limb problems

• swaying of the back

• narrowing of the channel in the lower spine during adulthood and other spine problem

• sleep apnea

• weight gain

• speech and language problems

Individuals with proportionate short stature (PSS) may have poorly developed organs and pregnancy complications, such as respiratory problems. Delivery will normally be by cesarean section.

Outlook

Most people with short stature will have a normal life expectancy, and 90 percent of children who are small for their age at 2 years will "catch up" by adulthood.

The 10 percent who do not catch up are likely to have a condition such as fetal alcohol, Prader-Willi, or Down syndrome.

A person with achondroplasia can also expect a normal lifespan.

However, some serious conditions that are linked to some cases of short stature can be fatal.