@meeple Literally my life right now!! Prep diet starts tomorrow, I had my Lunar New Year feast today because eff not celebrating. Monday procedure is at 11am. Bday is on Wednesday so hopefully there will be happy cake eating then!

Drinking today like there's no drinking tomorrow. Because there isn't. I can't have alcohol tomorrow. Or food. Or joy. I'll be prepping for a #colonoscopy. I'll be drinking clear liquids and evacuating my brains out if you need me. Then, Monday, nothing by mouth at all, and procedure at 2 in the afternoon. But I have a presentation for work at 11am that I'll somehow accomplish between abdominal cramps. I'm a trooper.

#GettingOld sucks. #ChronicIllness sucks. Happy birthday, Jess.

You know what REALLY puts a damper on Lunar New Year/bday celebrations?!! A SURPRISE COLONOSCOPY IN BETWEEN THOSE DAYS 😭 I can’t eat any solid food after 10am on Sunday (1st day of Lunar New Year) for 24hours 🤯 #ChronicIllness #disability

“Under our system of government, purporting to let cabinet bypass the legislature is literally the end of democracy.

“It is — without exaggeration — an attempt to impose a dictatorship.”

#ABPoli

https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2022/12/01/Danielle-Smith-Sovereignty-Act-Worse-Than-Expected/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_content=120122-m&utm_campaign=editorial

DECEMBER FOURTH: HOLD THE DATE

1 PM

WE'RE FILLING THE #ABLEG.

We NEED to tell @abdaniellesmith (blocked) that the Albeta Sovereignty Act is unconstitutional and Albertans oppose to the bill.

Want to help with the organizing? Join here: https://discord.gg/aJXVdxHu

Boost quickly and boots widely.

We should all be clear on a few things.

1. The federal government mandated masks for airlines, and public transportation that crosses provincial boundaries. Nothing else.
2. The federal government restricted travel for non-Canadians coming into the country, nobody else.
3. The US mandated vaccinations for travelers going TO the US, our federal government had no say in that decision, the US is a different country.
4. The provincial governments mandated masks in public places (places that were open to the public, which included businesses)
5. Cities mandated masks in those same places within city boundaries, after the province removed them, but while it was still high risk in those cities
6. It's STILL high risk, mandates have been removed, but we're still at a high level of risk. Wearing a mask is an excellent way to help reduce the odds of an infection that could kill you, or more likely, cause a long term disability.
7. Covid-19 is a multi-systemic virus that can cause long term problems, it can damage your brain, heart, immune system, blood, everything. It's airborne, it floats in the air for hours. Wearing an N95 mask or respirator filters the air you breathe, makes catching it less likely.
8. Masking also lowers your chances of catching a cold, a flu, or any other airborne virus. If everyone is wearing a mask, it reduces the odds significantly more.
9. Viruses love healthy people, they live longer and produce more virus.
10. The combination of masks and vaccination will protect you. Being "healthy" and having a "natural" immune system will not. Yes, old, sick, chronically ill people are more susceptible to quick bad outcomes, but being healthy just means you'll suffer longer.
11. The protection from vaccines starts to wane after 3 months, meaning getting a booster around 6 months for healthy people with strong immune systems, and 3-4 months for people with compromised immune systems helps prevent severe illness.
12. Vaccine mandates for crossing international borders are normal, and have existed as long as vaccines. Out government does not restrict our citizens from entering Canada if they're not vaccinated, only foreign citizens.
13. We do not have any government vaccine mandates in Canada that apply to the general population. Vaccine mandates that do exist are mandated by employers, and private companies.

#COVID19 #WearAMask #Protect #Canada #CovidIsNotOver #BeSafe

#ArtAdventCalendar I made a #WorldofWarcraft #Shaman ornament. Hand drawn and then painted with acrylics. #WoW #art #GeekyArt

#ArtAdventCalendar

The Couple
Philip Sybal
1995

I am continually appalled by the DSM 5 autism diagnostic criteria.

I implore all health and social care professions (and everyone else too), to be better informed of what autism really is.

It is a difference in neurology - *not* a disorder.

We need to look at autism through the lens of the neurodiversity paradigm (See Dr. Nick Walker).

This does not dimiss any challenges or disability Autistic people may experience or have, (many of which are directly caused by the environment, society's attitude and (mis) understanding of Autistic people.

The language used in the DSM 5 is incredibly deficit-based and patholigised:

"Symptoms" "abnormal" "inappropriate" "persistent deficits".

It is also wholy wrong and dangerous to categorise autism into levels of severity. *There are no such levels*.

Many Autistic people fit the criteria for level 1, 2 and 3 within one day or week. The level of support needed for any individual (Autistic or not), greatly depends of various factors, including:

- How safe a person feels in that moment
- The context in that moment
- How suitable/conducive/hostile their environment is - at that time.
- The level of stress/anxiety that person is experiencing - at that time, or from past trauma.
- How understanding (or not) the people around them are, in that specific situation.

We all (humans) need a lot more support and would display more obvious signs of anxiety and distress if our individual needs are not met.

It's no help at all for some, for example to be given a 'diagnosis' of autism level 1, as people would see them as always only having 'mild/low' support needs.

This might be the case sometimes, but that person might be masking at times, or clearly be in distress at other times, needing support, or....

When the environment and situation is suitable, they might thrive and manage their tasks perfectly (e.g., a heart surgeon or content student at school).

Levels of autistic severity are a backwards step.

Please could all my fellow professionals take steps to better inform yourselves.

I'm happy to signpost to brilliant artles, training, resources... All Autistic-led.

Please boost if you agree. Thank you.

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/hcp-dsm.html
_
#Autism
#Monotropism
#DSM
#Pschologist
#Autistic
#OccupationalTherapists
#OccupationalTherapy
@occtherapy
#Healthcare
#SLT
#AHP
#HumanRights
#Neurodiversity
#Neurodivergent

@occtherapy Additionally, being told you're 'Level 1 Autistic' makes it hard for some people to ask for support, as they're seen as 'mild' and 'shouldn't need much support'.

Conversely, those told they're 'Level 3 Autistic' might be able to manage very well and communicate perfectly well if, for example they're given the right communication device (or AAC) for them, allowed to use it as and when they want to, and are in a relaxed and suitable environment to meet their needs.

Again, this applies to ALL humans.

“For deep time is measured in units that humble the human instant: millennia, epochs and aeons, instead of minutes, months and years. Deep time is kept by rock, ice, stalactites, seabed sediments and the drift of tectonic plates. Seen in deep time, things come alive that seemed inert. New responsibilities declare themselves. Ice breathes. Rock has tides. Mountains rise and fall. We live on a restless Earth.”

― Robert Macfarlane, Underland: A Deep Time Journey

#DeepTime #RockyMountains

RT @drdagly@twitter: “No matter what anyone tries to sell you, healthcare is not a business and can never be run like one without violating human rights.“ https://twitter.com/drdagly/status/1594807561785856000?s=21 #ableg #abhealth #cdnpoli #yyc #yeg

@Persephone I made another account @Xeryfyn@neurodifferent.me to connect more with #ChronicIllness and #Disability posts

It’s #caturday so here is Sirius Black. Alt-Text: Picture is of a black cat hugging a white stuffed animal and looking up at the camera #CatsofMastodon

@ruud I do use Avast! Ok, just checking!

@MichelleG Me too!! I listened to an interview on the radio with them

@MichelleG Did you know that song was about his child being born and leaving his wife’s body?!

@vickie Welcome! Easiest way is to follow the hashtags!

@accretor Ok thanks! I was using the mastodon site but will re-type it as a precaution