you know why it’s so critically important to celebrate women over the age of 40?
because young women and girls need role models. need someone to aspire to become as they age.
as it is, society basically tells girls and young women: aspire to be 18-22. do not aspire or imagine past that, for you are useless without youth and beauty. do not aspire to be wise, or strong, beautiful without youth, or valuable with lines and wrinkles. and THAT is scary. we put a cap on aspirations for girls, because we want them to think the ideal comes and goes by 20–when really, we’re at our best for many, many years beyond.
Not to make a post about real life into a post about scifi, but this was the biggest thing that struck me about Leia in The Force Awakens. I can’t think of another time when I’ve gotten to see a teenage girl character grow up like that. Getting to see that Leia Organa grew up to continue to be shrewd and emotional and a respected leader who was still vital to her cause was incredible.
things I’ve learned to say to boys:
-you’re not funny
-don’t talk to me like I’m dumb
-I probably know more about this than you do
-don’t fucking talk about her like that
-I’m not comfortable with this
-I don’t owe you anything
-you just repeated exactly what I said
-no
It’s 2015. If doctors don’t know how to operate on fat bodies. Then they shouldn’t be doctors. We have enough resources an equipment to deal with “obese” patients. There is no need for the medical community to continue fat shaming.
Let’s talk a little bit more in depth about how obesity affects surgical procedures.
In most serious, intensive surgeries, you’re probably going to be under anesthesia, right? And you’re probably going to have medications to take afterwards. Stuff like this filtered through the kidneys and liver.
Obese patients have much higher rates of renal hypertension, which affects the kidneys, and morbidly obese patients have a 90% likelihood of having abnormalities in their liver.
That all adds up to a really bad time, and drugs being filtered out of the system quicker and therefore not working as intended. And you really want your anesthesia to work right when people are cutting into you.
In addition to this, some weight-based drugs are affected by fatty tissue, and some are not, so this can cause problems in determining the proper dosage.
Obese patients are at a higher risk for deep-vein thrombosis – this is when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, like in the leg. Surgery is recognized as a risk factor for DVT, and so obese patients undergoing surgery are doubly at risk.
Finding veins in the patient is also made difficult – it’s the difference between finding the edge piece in a 1000 piece puzzle, vs finding it in a 100 piece puzzle.
It’s harder to monitor blood pressure in obese patients as well, as standard cuffs may not work due to there being too much fatty tissue between the blood vessel and the cuff.
When you’re performing surgery, you have to pull back the flesh and muscle to get to where you’re trying to operate on – the more you have to pull back, the more difficult this becomes.
This image shows how much more you’re having to work through when doing an operation on an obese person:
So no, it’s not a matter of doctors being bad at their job. Surgery by itself is a difficult and risk-laden process – adding obesity on top of that adds an uneccessary layer of additional risk and complexity.
Sources:
Palmer M, Schaffner F. Effect of weight reduction on hepatic abnormalities in overweight patients. Gastroenterology 1990; 99: 1408–13.
Albert S, Borovicka J, Thurnheer M, et al. Pre- and post-operative transaminase changes within the scope of gastric banding in morbid obesity. Schweiz Rundsch Med Prax 2001; 90: 1459–64.
Ramsey-Stewart G. Hepatic steatosis and morbid obesity. Obes Surg 1993; 3: 157–9.
Clain DJ, Lefkowitch JH. Fatty liver disease in morbid obesity. Gastroenterol Clin North Am 1987; 16: 239–52.
Marik P, Varon J. The obese patient in the ICU. Chest 1998; 113: 492–8.
Ribstein J, duCailar G, Mimran A. Combined renal effects of overweight and hypertension. Hypertension 1995; 26: 610–5.
Braekkan SK, Siegerink B, Lijfering WM, Hansen JB, Cannegieter SC, Rosendaal FR. Role of obesity in the etiology of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism: current epidemiological insights. Semin Thromb Hemost 2013
Allman-Farinelli MA. Obesity and venous thrombosis: a review. Semin Thromb Hemost 2011; 37:903-7.
This is very true. When I had open heart surgery, there were various complications as well as problems with the anesthesia because of how fat I was. Thanks be to God my surgeon was top notch. But the fact of the matter is that if I was a thinner patient, the surgery would have been far less traumatic. In fact, if I had not put on so much weight, my aortic valve would have lasted me longer. So, yeah, biological and scientific realities are at stake when you carry too much weight.
I have seen some communities on tumblr try to push a “body positive” self esteem agenda by dismissing health risks of obesity as fat bias.
Yes. You can be beautiful no matter what your body looks like.
No. You cannot always be healthy regardless of what your body looks like, and while self confidence is important, taking care of yourself and addressing health problems-including being overweight- is important.
Thanks for someone being honest and real about the risks of obesity and the medical field
Im glad this didnt explode and now ive learned a little more about health risks and obesity. Thank you tumblr
is that it can be really dangerous. The idea that only you know yourself and your symptoms best is shlock. You don’t. And you most definitely should be aware that your sense of self is even further compromised by illness.
I diagnosed myself with depression last year. I knew what it was, my sister had depression and she was getting better with medication. I had all the symptoms and I fit in with every checklist and I’d suffered depression off and on for years.
Desperate and armed with my internet searches I went to my doctor and demanded relief. I wanted drugs and help and NOW. My life was a wreck, I was a wreck and I couldn’t do it anymore. I wouldn’t take no for an answer. Unfortunately (as it would turn out) my doctor trusted me and gave me what I wanted, anti-depressants and a referral to speak to someone about my mental health.
I walked out prescription in hand, relieved for the first time in months that things were going to get better. And they did! But only briefly.
Because I got my diagnosis wrong.
Or I guess you could say 50% wrong. I had diagnosed myself with Major Depressive Disorder and yes, I was most definitely depressed BUT what I actually had was Bipolar Disorder. Type 2 specifically.
Now, what’s something that a person with bipolar disorder should never ever do without supervision and a mood stabilizer? Take antidepressants.
What followed was the mood rollercoaster from hell. I had moved to a new city and separated from my doctor continued my medication in the hopes enough of it would work. It put me into a mood episode called a mixed state. I constantly angry, agitated, crawling out of my skin. Things were so awful I began to question if the world was even real. How could a place this painful even exist?
I felt a constant, desperate, clawing need for…what? Something. I couldn’t identify it. A saviour maybe? And I did find one in the end. Death, I thought, would be my saviour.
If this is all sounding a bit dramatic it’s because I’m trying to illustrate a point. 2 months after misdiagnosing myself and starting anti-depressants I tried to commit suicide. Off we went to the hospital where an overworked but well-meaning emergency psych handed me another prescription for anti-depressants. I left the hospital, filled the prescription and was right back on the mood rollercoaster. 2 weeks later I tried to kill myself again. This time when I got to the hospital they told me I couldn’t leave.
Being locked up for a month wasn’t fun, but it was probably one of the better things that happened to me. It was the first time someone really asked me questions instead of taking me at my word. My diagnosis changed and I still need medication but now I have the right kind.
What annoys me most about this is that I LOOKED at Bipolar II as a diagnosis. I looked right at it and said nah. That’s not it. I wasn’t able to objectively evaluate my moods. I see the cycles of hypomania and depression now but at the time I just thought that was me. I’m creative! Of COURSE I work a ton sometimes and can’t bear living other times! Some of the blame here lies with my doctor and some with me. I should have said I have all these symptoms can we figure out what is going on?
Anyway, that was 8 months ago. Things didn’t get 100% better right away and they still aren’t 100% better now. I still question my diagnosis and I have once or twice ditched my meds only to be quickly reminded why I need them when my mood starts kicking my ass.
To be clear: self advocacy is FINE. That’s not the issue. Advocating for yourself is how you open a conversation. (And of course ditch your doc if they’re dismissive of opening a dialogue.)
The real issue is this idea that’s taking hold that doctors need to trust their patients because only their patients know themselves best. It’s dangerous when patients believe this and it’s especially dangerous when doctors believe it. Don’t diagnose yourself. Yeah, you might get it right, but if you don’t? It’s fucking russian roulette.
My doctor trusted me and I trusted me and it was almost fatal.
For all there is to hate about Trump, I’m much more scared of a President Cruz than a President Trump.
Why? Just curious.
Bottom line is that Trump wants attention. Cruz wants power. Trump is an entertainer. Cruz is a master politician who believes petulance is a political ideology. Of every Republican in the field, Cruz is most steadfast in his ultra-conservative beliefs and will never bend or meet for compromise.
Trump craves attention and will always put himself above policies. Cruz is incredibly methodical and is always playing the long game to accomplish his policy goals. Yes, Trump is far more likely to accidentally set off an international incident, but Cruz in power will strangle this country and bring it to its knees before he allows it to become something he doesn’t agree with.
I cannot stress how evangelical Ted Cruz is. If he wins this election, it will be on the backs of the religious right.
He wants constitutional amendment to make SCOTUS judges have retention elections so he can boot off justices like Kennedy who become more liberal over time.
He’s willing to shut down the federal government instead of allowing any funding of Planned Parenthood.
He wants to ban birth control including IUD and morning after pill
He did actually shutdown the federal government because he doesn’t like Obamacare.
The next president will probably nominate 4 justices to the Supreme Court. (1 Conservative, 2 Liberals, 1 Swing) Cruz will not consider any nominees who have a hint of moderate in them. This could easily lead to a 7-2 Supreme Court decision outlawing abortion, ending Obamacare, or abolishing affirmative action or civil rights protections.
The reason Trump will never scare me as much as Cruz is that Ted Cruz is brilliant, he is a true political organizer and mastermind. He’s skillfuly united faith circles all over the US and will ride a wave all the way into South Carolina.
And just to prove my point. Look at the Tea Party. It’s a tiny segment of American politics, but the power it carries is because of Ted Fucking Cruz. When met with something he didn’t like, he SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT as a freshman Senator! A FRESHMAN! Imagine him with real executive power.
THIS IS MY TIME TO SHINE. HERE IS HOW YOU SEXT IN LATIN.
GREETING FIRST: Salve, puer pulcher/puella pulchra/hominis dulcis. (Hey, pretty boy/pretty girl/sweet person. Latin is inherently gendered but both hominis and dulcis are ‘neuter’ so.)
EVERYBODY LIKES FLATTERY: Facies splendidissimus habes. (You have the most amazing face.)
BE BLUNT: Visne me futere/pedicare? (Do you want to fuck me/have anal with me? Use as applicable)
INVITATION: Domus meus vacuus est lectusque meus frigus te sine est, si vis visitare. (My house is empty and my bed is cold without you, if you want to come over.)
Go forth and seduce people with your Latin. I also recommend this poem if you want to piss someone off and learn some Latin vulgarities (teaches ‘to fuck’, ‘to face-fuck,’ ‘to have anal/sodomize,’ ‘bottom/catamite,’ etc.) and this one if you want to be romantic and seduce someone (genuinely beautiful love poetry and imagery, also lovely when read aloud).
