How much time has passed since your last dose? Sometimes withdrawals symptoms can last for several weeks.

The upside is I no longer sweat like a fucking pig for no reason, which sucked

Oh, I’ve been on that one. I would sweat on my way out of the shower. Really impressive stuff.

American chinese food. My immediate family used to be elaborate, cooking a lot and having big meals, but we stopped doing that as a combination of COVID and it being overwhelming for everyone. Now, we see much less family, have some cookies and other pastries, and I essentially just eat black beans and rice for the main meal. We just chill on Christmas Day itself, and get american chinese food. I’ll probably have a sort of Tofu dish, and what’s nice about this is that it allows for my sibilings to all pick foods that they want, since they’re all fairly picky even if I’m not. They also all love some sort of sugar, so the desserts tend not to be the problem.

Edit: Deserts are not related, desserts are

i’ve used the half mask respirator with p100 filters before (3M 6000 in your link) but unfortunately for me i get a bit claustrophobic in them. i normally use aura masks but i recognize that they do break down and they’re expensive.

although my partner actually finds those respirators more comfortable so they still might be worth trying out. they can be found on amazon or ppe suppliers, also hardware stores like home depot.

some have a cooling exhale valve which stops them from getting too moist on the inside, unlike standard n95s, so very comfortable in that sense. they also just look cool.

you have to speak very loudly and clearly in them though, they block a lot of sound.

I got one but was convinced it would make it too hard to hear me so I wear shitty KN95s :(.

I use elastomeric respirators all the time now. My everyday “going out” mask (for when i’m going to a public indoor space that’s going to have a decent density of people in it, i.e grocery shopping or class) is an MSA Advantage 900. Very good seal but it’s not the most comfortable thing in the world, but for the protection it gives I’m okay with that. my less heavy-duty mask (which i wear around my family, when going outdoors, occasionally in public indoor spaces if there’s a low density of people) is a Flo mask. Flo masks are pretty comfortable, they’re somewhat expensive though and I will say that for me the seal is not as secure as my MSA Advantage (it tends to break if i laugh, so I have to try not to laugh very much when I’m wearing it.) In general elastomerics have worked very well for me, it’s been great not having to constantly buy new masks and as far as I can tell I’ve been pretty well protected, but your mileage may vary.

I’ve tried GVS elipse, airboss, flomask, and have now for the past year used a dentec comfort air. The GVS hurt my nose bridge too much. The airboss was expensive, the straps wouldn’t stay adjusted, and it split open after a few months, an absolute scam. The flowmask hurt my nose bridge and its small size caused gaps in the seal when I spoke or smiled, but I’ve heard it suits some people very well. The Dentec has suited my high nose bridge and far exceeded all others in comfort and seal integrity yet was the cheapest. I had to shop around to find the non-bulk order of it though. It’s also all black and looks very cyberpunk.

Understand, though that your voice will be much more muffled in an elastomeric than disposable N95, and while some claim to have better audibility, it’s not by much. I use my left over Auras when I know I’m going to talk to someone.

Immediate goal for today: $800

https://hexbear.net/post/4124374

I feel this, particularly the parts about problems cascading or worsening, how fucked my body is for my age, and how people would react with disbelief. My current strategy is not telling anyone but my doctor…

I’m lucky enough to have a significant other who gets and loves and supports me, but if I tried explaining to my family, the best I’d probably get is well-intentioned suggestions to exercise (I already do) or something.

Yeah, I can relate in a sense. Sometimes, because I’ve come to expect to be dehumanised as soon as I mention that I’m autistic, I just say that I’m disabled if I’m just trying to convey that I’m having trouble with something relevant. The responses of disbilief I’ve gotten from people are very telling - if you look “normal” enough then you’re just faking and being lazy, and are probably a benefit scrounger to boot.

The way I’ve dealt with it… well it’s kinda hard to treat the symptoms of society as an individual, so mostly I just try to avoid people who are like that as a crude and unsatisfying solution. I just expect nothing from randoms - sometimes people get it, most of the time they don’t unless they have first hand experience themselves. In spaces that will listen, I won’t shut up about disability, but if it gets seen as me causing drama or that it’s more trouble than it’s worth, I don’t have it in me to butt heads and I just fuck off.

As for personal relationships, I’ve internalised plenty of red flags from my various encounters that I’m looking out for. I barely have energy for myself, so it better be worth it if I’m building some kind of relationship with someone. Kinda hard to name specifics though I guess, that’s the kinda thing this space is probably ok for - to unpack the ableist bullshit in your life as you’re going through it with others who are doing the same

edit: spwlling

congratulations!!

Hell yeah!

:salute:

Freeze response? RSD?

feel this very much. the way my questions get taken as a way to argue or express judgement instead of as a genuine attempt to understand is one of the most painful and frustrating parts of my everyday life.

even through carefully composed text, even here where so many people are also autistic

I genuinely hate conflict and don’t like to argue; it’s hard to express how upsetting it is to be misunderstood as argumentative regularly.