#nomaskbans — Public Fediverse posts

Educate each other about our intersecting movements.

#NoMaskBans
#NoGenocide
#FreePalestine
#OpenBorders
#MeltICE
#Fight Fascism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHULkS5qYHk

Panda Express walked back their employee mask ban in response to public outcry.

Starbucks is also attempting to prohibit their employees from masking unless they have a doctors note.

Get loud. Call, email & boycott. These ableist decisions are reversible, we just need to keep up the fight!

#nomaskbans #ableism #discrimination #fascism #uglylaws #eugenics #starbucks #pandaexpress #disability #covidisnotover

#Illinois folks, please submit Witness Slips TODAY for Rep Hoan Huynh’s HB3853 #ILRight2Mask ASAP!

See this link for info on how to make a difference to support the legal right to mask: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRTmfzQr7eR_nvcre74GVzZ0XcyHa8Fn-btLbcTXQRImU7ajo_Ivbq8V4-wOWQq6LWd8BDTGl-l2A4H/pub

#NoMaskBans #N95 #HumanRights

Mask bans already exist in certain States and counties.

Vance spearheaded a federal ban on mask mandates.

Organizing to codify the right to wear medical masks and respirators is (sadly) needed.

Masking is community care and resistance.

Illinois attempting to codify right to mask into law:

https://pmefa.org/

#uspoli #nomaskbans #ableism #eugenics #uglylaws #disability #longcovid #covidisairborne

"Mask bans? In :canada: Canada? That's a 🇺🇸 USA thing, don't bring those restrictions on our freedoms here."

:mastorespirator:

#NoMaskBans #CDNPoli #Canada #mask #masks #masksWork #maskUp

Texas becomes the latest State to propose a mask ban (while in the midst of a measles outbreak that’s currently over 100 cases).

These are ugly laws. They’re discriminatory & push disabled people further out of society. They increase the likelihood of police harassment. They paint maskers as “bad”.

There’s an excellent document with scripts for how to call & fight back! 🧵 1/2

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1704ui-FIcCqF97SX5uVnjP-Xi4A6m4WUXjce2ZonKEI/mobilebasic

#uspoli #maskbans #nomaskbans #uglylaws #infectioncontrol #publichealth #texas #measles #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #ableism #eugenics #disability

Tuberculosis outbreaks in Kansas and North Carolina, measles outbreak in Texas and COVID is still everywhere. I’ve not seen a single media outlet mention wearing masks.

In fact masks are banned in North Carolina and Nassau County and more bans are currently on the table.

A good respirator protects from more than just Covid. The people deserve to know how to keep themselves safe.

#uspoli #airborne #publichealth #tuberculosis #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #wearamask #nomaskbans

For every executive order, bill or funding cut that targets marginalized people, let’s counter with an act of kindness.

Cut SNAP funding? Give to a community fridge

Cut PrEP funding? Give to AIDS organizations.

Mask bans? Wear a mask!

Attacks on trans rights? Amplify trans creators.

ICE Raids? Form a neighbourhood ICE watch.

Misogynist abusers appointed to cabinet roles? Give to victims shelters.

DEIA program cuts? Shop local and support marginalized businesses and creators.

We can do this. Counter evil with kindness & community care.

#uspoli #randomactsofkindness #dei #trump #trans #TransRightsAreHumanRights #disability #ableism #nomaskbans #resist

Disabled people have compromised and sacrificed so much over the last 4 years. Every day it feels like another tool is taken away, accessibility further reduced & our agency stripped back. We are constantly told that we don’t deserve to survive. That we are acceptable losses.

My article from May of 2024 on ableism, eugenics and mask bans is a good example of why disabled people need your support.

We’re asking for solidarity. Wear a mask. Stop consenting to repeat covid infections. Stop treating others as expendable.

When we abandon common sense and decency it makes it easier for fascism to thrive.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/we-are-witnessing-real-time-eugenics

#eugenics #ableism #disabilityrights #nomaskbans #maskbans #covidisnotover #fascism #COVIDisAirborne #uspoli

My latest article is about the shooting of CEO Brian Thompson and how NYC Mayor Adams seems poised to use it as an excuse to bring in a ban on masks (which he’s wanted to do for awhile).

Mask bans are discriminatory, ableist and put lives at risk.

We are still IN an airborne pandemic. Everyone - whether disabled or not - should have the legal right to protect themselves from infection.

People need masks for all kinds of reasons. Pollution, wildfire smoke, allergies AND Covid. No one should be forced to risk their health because a necessary medical device has been criminalized for absolutely no reason.

Make no mistake - these bans won’t stop crime. Studies have shown that sunglasses obscure identity more effectively.

The only reason to ban masks is to pander to those on the right still angry about mask mandates - and to make it easier for the government to surveil its citizens.

Ironically those who screamed the loudest about freedom and bodily autonomy during mask mandates are eerily quiet about mask bans - despite the fact that they represent escalating fascism and government overreach.

We really are on our own.

Please - mask up. Do it in solidarity with disabled people who NEED masks in order to safely access public spaces. Do it to support the Covid aware people who just want to avoid infection. Do it to send a message to the government that you don’t believe anyone is expendable. Do it to protect our right to mask in the future.

It’s not too late - but we must get loud, work fast and wear our masks.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nyc-mayor-wants-to-ban-masks-in-the

#maskbans #nomaskbans #noNYmaskban #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2 #wearamask #respirator #brianthompson #luigimangione #ableism #discrimination #disabilityrights #disabilityjustice #maskup

My latest article is about the shooting of CEO Brian Thompson and how NYC Mayor Adams seems poised to use it as an excuse to bring in a ban on masks (which he’s wanted to do for awhile).

Mask bans are discriminatory, ableist and put lives at risk.

We are still IN an airborne pandemic. Everyone - whether disabled or not - should have the legal right to protect themselves from infection.

People need masks for all kinds of reasons. Pollution, wildfire smoke, allergies AND Covid. No one should be forced to risk their health because a necessary medical device has been criminalized for absolutely no reason.

Make no mistake - these bans won’t stop crime. Studies have shown that sunglasses obscure identity more effectively.

The only reason to ban masks is to pander to those on the right still angry about mask mandates - and to make it easier for the government to surveil its citizens.

Ironically those who screamed the loudest about freedom and bodily autonomy during mask mandates are eerily quiet about mask bans - despite the fact that they represent escalating fascism and government overreach.

We really are on our own.

Please - mask up. Do it in solidarity with disabled people who NEED masks in order to safely access public spaces. Do it to support the Covid aware people who just want to avoid infection. Do it to send a message to the government that you don’t believe anyone is expendable. Do it to protect our right to mask in the future.

It’s not too late - but we must get loud, work fast and wear our masks.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nyc-mayor-wants-to-ban-masks-in-the

#maskbans #nomaskbans #noNYmaskban #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2 #wearamask #respirator #brianthompson #luigimangione #ableism #discrimination #disabilityrights #disabilityjustice #maskup

My latest article is about the shooting of CEO Brian Thompson and how NYC Mayor Adams seems poised to use it as an excuse to bring in a ban on masks (which he’s wanted to do for awhile).

Mask bans are discriminatory, ableist and put lives at risk.

We are still IN an airborne pandemic. Everyone - whether disabled or not - should have the legal right to protect themselves from infection.

People need masks for all kinds of reasons. Pollution, wildfire smoke, allergies AND Covid. No one should be forced to risk their health because a necessary medical device has been criminalized for absolutely no reason.

Make no mistake - these bans won’t stop crime. Studies have shown that sunglasses obscure identity more effectively.

The only reason to ban masks is to pander to those on the right still angry about mask mandates - and to make it easier for the government to surveil its citizens.

Ironically those who screamed the loudest about freedom and bodily autonomy during mask mandates are eerily quiet about mask bans - despite the fact that they represent escalating fascism and government overreach.

We really are on our own.

Please - mask up. Do it in solidarity with disabled people who NEED masks in order to safely access public spaces. Do it to support the Covid aware people who just want to avoid infection. Do it to send a message to the government that you don’t believe anyone is expendable. Do it to protect our right to mask in the future.

It’s not too late - but we must get loud, work fast and wear our masks.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nyc-mayor-wants-to-ban-masks-in-the

#maskbans #nomaskbans #noNYmaskban #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2 #wearamask #respirator #brianthompson #luigimangione #ableism #discrimination #disabilityrights #disabilityjustice #maskup

My latest article is about the shooting of CEO Brian Thompson and how NYC Mayor Adams seems poised to use it as an excuse to bring in a ban on masks (which he’s wanted to do for awhile).

Mask bans are discriminatory, ableist and put lives at risk.

We are still IN an airborne pandemic. Everyone - whether disabled or not - should have the legal right to protect themselves from infection.

People need masks for all kinds of reasons. Pollution, wildfire smoke, allergies AND Covid. No one should be forced to risk their health because a necessary medical device has been criminalized for absolutely no reason.

Make no mistake - these bans won’t stop crime. Studies have shown that sunglasses obscure identity more effectively.

The only reason to ban masks is to pander to those on the right still angry about mask mandates - and to make it easier for the government to surveil its citizens.

Ironically those who screamed the loudest about freedom and bodily autonomy during mask mandates are eerily quiet about mask bans - despite the fact that they represent escalating fascism and government overreach.

We really are on our own.

Please - mask up. Do it in solidarity with disabled people who NEED masks in order to safely access public spaces. Do it to support the Covid aware people who just want to avoid infection. Do it to send a message to the government that you don’t believe anyone is expendable. Do it to protect our right to mask in the future.

It’s not too late - but we must get loud, work fast and wear our masks.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nyc-mayor-wants-to-ban-masks-in-the

#maskbans #nomaskbans #noNYmaskban #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2 #wearamask #respirator #brianthompson #luigimangione #ableism #discrimination #disabilityrights #disabilityjustice #maskup

My latest article is about the shooting of CEO Brian Thompson and how NYC Mayor Adams seems poised to use it as an excuse to bring in a ban on masks (which he’s wanted to do for awhile).

Mask bans are discriminatory, ableist and put lives at risk.

We are still IN an airborne pandemic. Everyone - whether disabled or not - should have the legal right to protect themselves from infection.

People need masks for all kinds of reasons. Pollution, wildfire smoke, allergies AND Covid. No one should be forced to risk their health because a necessary medical device has been criminalized for absolutely no reason.

Make no mistake - these bans won’t stop crime. Studies have shown that sunglasses obscure identity more effectively.

The only reason to ban masks is to pander to those on the right still angry about mask mandates - and to make it easier for the government to surveil its citizens.

Ironically those who screamed the loudest about freedom and bodily autonomy during mask mandates are eerily quiet about mask bans - despite the fact that they represent escalating fascism and government overreach.

We really are on our own.

Please - mask up. Do it in solidarity with disabled people who NEED masks in order to safely access public spaces. Do it to support the Covid aware people who just want to avoid infection. Do it to send a message to the government that you don’t believe anyone is expendable. Do it to protect our right to mask in the future.

It’s not too late - but we must get loud, work fast and wear our masks.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nyc-mayor-wants-to-ban-masks-in-the

#maskbans #nomaskbans #noNYmaskban #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2 #wearamask #respirator #brianthompson #luigimangione #ableism #discrimination #disabilityrights #disabilityjustice #maskup

I can’t believe this needs to be said - but masks don’t kill people. Guns do.

I find it extremely concerning that the media reports about Luigi Mangione say he had a gun, ammo and “box of masks” in his backpack. As though they’re the same. 

Masks are a personal protective tool. They can’t harm anyone else.

The U.S. has a terrible problem with gun violence. Yet whenever a mass shooting occurs and someone suggests banning guns - they scream about their right to carry & “freedom” to protect themselves.

How far we’ve fallen that people are more concerned with banning masks than guns.

Masks bans won’t stop crimes. All they will do is fuel hateful anti-mask rhetoric and make public spaces even less safe for disabled and high risk individuals. 

If the “freedom” to protect oneself is truly of paramount importance - the right to wear a mask needs to be preserved.

If you’ve stopped masking - please mask back up. We need you now more than ever. Send a loud and clear message that masking should not be considered a crime - and that you refuse to contribute to the spread of a dangerous virus.

#nomaskbans #noNYmaskbans #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #luigimangione #brianthompson #ericadams #ableism #discrimination #disability #disabilityjustice #sarscov2

NYC Mayor Eric Adams has again stated he supports a ban on masks

Disabled activists have been screaming about the dangers of mask bans since they were enacted in North Carolina.

We are still IN a pandemic. Masks are a public health tool that should never be banned.

Masks were made political due COVID restrictions - with people screaming that they’re a sign of government oppression, violation of bodily autonomy and those who still wear them are “sheep”.

Despite the hatred towards maskers - many of us still wear them & rely on them to keep us safe

A well fitted respirator provides excellent protection against Covid - and despite what mask ban proponents will tell you - doesn’t do much to obscure identity.

Studies have shown that wearing sunglasses hides your identity more effectively than a medical mask.

Short 🧵 of the history of mask bans and how we fight back /1

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #nomaskbans #maskbans #wearamask #sarscov2 #ableism #eugenics #publichealth #disability #luigimangione

I’ve had people ask me why I’m concerned about mask bans given there’s a “medical exemption”

Mask bans are a return to ugly laws that will further isolate & exclude disabled people from society.

Medical exemptions are inadequate & leave many people behind (like healthy covid cautious people)

My article goes into it in more detail - but police are NOT medical professionals. It shouldn’t be up to them to determine who’s “medically justified” in wearing a mask

Many of us have invisible illnesses & struggle to convince our doctors to take us seriously

What hope do we have with police?

Moreover - disabled people don’t exist in a vacuum. We have friends, family and caregivers who we rely on to mask to protect us. They don’t qualify under most medical exemptions.

If you’re non disabled and want to stay that way? If you’re trying to avoid covid? That also doesn’t qualify.

These bans represent escalating fascism. They’re preying on people’s hatred for the disabled as well as their anger over mask mandates and covid policies.

The best way to push back? Wear a mask. Right now.

Call local lawmakers & tell them you won’t visit any state or county with a ban.

The Governor of North Carolina vetoed the bill - but the senate super majority overrode his veto.

Right after the mask ban bill passed - a woman with stage 4 cancer was accosted for masking.

The man called her a liberal, identified himself as a conservative & coughed on her.

What’s even more appalling - is that if you read the language of the North Carolina bill - it says any OCCUPANT of a public space can legally demand you remove your mask.

Its essentially deputizing the public to enforce mask bans - and designed to dissuade people from masking in the first place

Given these bans have been pushed by Republicans - and JD Vance spearheaded the federal ban on mask mandates - it’s prudent to fight back now while we still can.

Wearing a mask in public shows solidarity. It helps normalize them as a medical device. It will make them harder to ban.

My full article on the Nassau County ban and why medical exemptions aren’t the answer is below - I just found out Facebook has removed it for “disinformation”. And we wonder why more people don’t know mask bans have already happened 😞

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nassau-county-ny-makes-masking-illegal

#nomaskbans #maskbans #wearamask #CovidIsNotOver #covidisairborne #ableism #eugenics #discrimination #disability

“If you’ve been fighting for Covid mitigations for the last five years - you more than likely saw this coming. It was painfully obvious when the great unmasking occurred that many people on BOTH sides of the aisle didn’t care about the “vulnerable”. Didn’t care about community or protecting their neighbours. Didn’t care about anything other than their own ability to go to brunch, travel, socialize and get ‘back to normal.’

I’m not saying people should have shuttered inside their homes forever. None of us are. But they should have kept masking. There was no reason to stop. Respirators are highly effective at stopping the spread of Covid. The vast majority of people CAN wear them. We have mask blocs all over the world to provide masks to people who can’t afford them. It’s a simple thing you can do to protect yourself and - perhaps more importantly - protect others.”

If you missed my latest - it’s about the U.S. election, disability rights, eugenics, fascism and how we got to where we are. Perhaps more importantly - it’s about what comes next.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/how-did-we-get-here-and-what-comes

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #fascism #election2024

Only three days post election & another mask ban has been proposed. This time in Yonkers.

I don’t know how to be clearer - now is the time to put on a mask!

Vance already enacted a ban on mask mandates - we must normalize masking as community care before we lose right to wear them:

https://hudsonvalley.news12.com/yonkers-mask-ban-proposal-sparks-debate

#maskbans #nomaskbans #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2

Even if you don’t care about the health of others - you should be masking RIGHT NOW to protect yourself.

Disabled people have been telling you for years there is NO help when you become chronically ill.

This won’t improve in the next 4 years. Protecting your health is paramount.

Understand that those of us who’ve been advocating for Covid mitigations for years are exhausted. We’re frustrated. We’re fed up.

Many of us don’t have our health. We’re terribly sick and choosing to spend our limited energy trying to protect people who hate us.

We aren’t doing this for fun. We’re doing it because it’s necessary and no one else is bothering.

We know that there’s no exceptions - that once you lose your health your life changes forever.

We want to protect YOU despite the horrible way you’ve treated us for years.

Consider that the next time you’re tempted to yell at someone for masking or make fun of someone for trying to protect others.

We WANT to be wrong - but we know we’re not.

You NEED to be right because the alternative is too hard for you to face.

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

For anyone who’s struggling right now and needs a reminder - you are not expendable.

A person’s worth should never be determined by their health or their ability to be cogs in the machine of capitalism.

To everyone else - if upon hearing that someone was disabled or killed by Covid your first reaction is any of the following - you are part of the problem. You’re telling people their lives don’t count. That protecting them is too much of an inconvenience. That they are expendable.

- They were sick anyways
- They were old
- How many co-morbids did they have?
- Hospitals have always been unsafe places
- They were going to die anyways

Despite what you’ve been incorrectly led to believe - COVID is a threat to everyone. We are ALL vulnerable.

The people you are looking down on did nothing wrong. They don’t deserve the suffering they’re going through. Disability and chronic illness are NOT a moral failing.

Perhaps most importantly - you won’t be the “exception” when it happens to you. We are screaming about the lack of help for Long Covid for a reason - listen to us. Wear a mask. Clean the air. Test and isolate. Stop letting the virus win.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/how-did-we-get-here-and-what-comes

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

Disabled people have warned for years that embracing eugenicist Covid policies and discarding vulnerable people (and children!) would lead to escalating fascism and destroy what's left of public health and common decency.

It's simply not possible to make a conscious choice every day to put other people's lives at risk and not have it impact you in a profoundly negative way.

Years of politicians and leaders telling us that the vulnerable don't matter, that they will fall by the wayside, that they died because they were 'sick anyways' has changed us. And not in a good way.

It's time to think about what comes next. How we can resist, unite and fight back. We can't keep going down this road.

The hatred may have started with disabled and marginalized people - but it won't stop with us.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/how-did-we-get-here-and-what-comes

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

People spend their lives running from suffering. Doing whatever they can to avoid feeling pain. The idea of “forever suffering” is terrifying to them.  I think this fear is behind a lot of the disdain we see directed at disabled people.

We remind others that suffering can be permanent. That it can’t always be outrun. 

We exist in the grey. Our illnesses won’t kill us - but they also won’t ever get better. There’s no cure on the horizon. No “are you better yet?” 

This reality scares the crap out of people.

As such - they pull away from us. They abandon us or treat us with such disdain that we walk away from them. The ones that stay often expect us to hide how sick we are. To plaster a smile on our face and say we’re “fine” so that they don’t have to feel uncomfortable. 

When they ask how we’re feeling or if we’re “any better”… they don’t want to hear the truth.  In fact - if you tell them the truth you could find yourself facing a lecture on “positive thinking” or how you just need to “try harder” and you will suddenly overcome your illnesses.

People are unable or unwilling to face the realities of chronic illness - so they make it harder for us to face it as well. They treat it like it’s our fault. Like we did something to become ill or like we could get better if we “really wanted to”.

They will push our boundaries, gaslight us and yes - put us at risk for covid.  So this is your reminder that it is ok to set and hold boundaries. It’s ok to protect yourself.  If someone won’t be there at your worst - they don’t deserve you.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/we-dont-do-sick-if-you-cant-hide


#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

If you’re dealing with a COVID infection - remember it’s NOT your fault.

Those of us trying to avoid COVID & break chains of transmission have been failed by governments & public health. We’ve been left by the wayside.

It’s hard to avoid when NO ONE else is even trying.

I’m always sad when I see people blaming others for getting covid (or worse - blaming themselves).
There’s only so much a single person can do when covid is everywhere and most people refuse to acknowledge it (let alone mask or stay home)

This is extra applicable if you have young children or work in a public facing role where you’re exposed to large numbers of people every day.

When the collective whole gives up & decides to accept constant infection & reinfection - it becomes harder for those of us still trying.

Remember that every infection avoided or delayed is a win. The less times you get COVID - and the lower your viral load - the better.

Don’t give up - and never forget that if you’re masking - you ensured you didn’t pass your Covid infection to someone else.

You did the selfless thing. You protected other people. You made sure to NOT be responsible for someone else’s death or worsening disability.

That alone should make you feel proud - and negate any potential feelings of guilt or blame.

We need to do more to lift each other up and support our allies in this fight - because we don’t have many left.

Share advice, provide encouragement and don’t shame people when they get sick.
Also - can we stop shaming people for their choice of mask?

I see a lot of judgement towards people wearing surgical masks and/or earloops.

I consider anyone in a mask to be a win. These are people who are reachable - who would likely welcome information on how to better protect themselves.

They’re TRYING to do the right thing. We’ve been fed a steady diet of misinformation or no information for years.

If you’re involved with the Covid cautious community here - of course you know a surgical mask provides little protection.

But not everyone has this information - and many don’t have the time or the inclination to go hunting for it.

There’s also the matter of cost. Respirators are more expensive. Head strap and elastometrics cost even more.

Many people can’t afford a high quality mask - especially if they have to be out of the home 8+ hours every day

I’m incredibly grateful for my N99 respirator but will readily admit the only reason I can afford it is because of how little I leave my home.
I couldn’t afford to wear one every day. Covid IS a social justice issue.

So what can we do about it? Lots of things! If you have the means to carry extra N95s - offer them to people you see in a surgical mask. Tell them why a respirator offers better protection.

Find and support your local mask bloc. Donate masks if you can.

You can also donate tests to people who can’t afford them. Share or donate to people trying to raise funds for at home NAAT testing so they can keep themselves and their communities safe.

Keep pushing for mandatory masks in healthcare, free respirators and tests and clean air in all public spaces.
Educate people who want more information on how to keep themselves covid free.

Lastly - support your allies in this fight. Lift them up and be cognizant of their energy levels.
Don’t tear people down unnecessarily.

We’re almost five years into this and people are rightfully exhausted. We need to stick together in order to face another year

If you’re struggling and need advice on how to up your mask game, how to find a mask bloc or charity or just need support to stay covid safe - feel free to leave a comment 👇🏼.

Lots of informed people here who can help you find the best protection for your individual circumstances!

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

I miss the days when I could go to the ER without fear of Covid infection, setbacks, MCAS attacks & trauma.

I miss the blissful ignorance of believing the hospital will “fix things” instead of making it worse.

It’s agonizing going through a flare knowing safe care doesn’t exist.

Also if one more person says “just go to the hospital” I’m going to scream.

The hospital for disabled people is NOT the same experience as non disabled people. Period.

I have to carefully consider if my flare is even something they CAN or WILL help with - and then weigh the covid risk too.

It’s terribly unfair but it IS our reality. Going to the hospital is not a decision we make lightly - and oftentimes there’s nothing they can do either.

Chronic illness has no “easy fixes”. Understanding that doesn’t make the pain and suffering any easier to bear though:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/i-wont-go-to-the-er-unless-im-literally

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

When I was first diagnosed with MCAS I thought “a condition I can control!”

I genuinely believed that since there were clear & obvious triggers - I could put in the work, overhaul my life and be free of attacks.

When a patient plans - mast cells laugh.

I threw myself into research trying to learn how to adopt a low histamine diet, clean my air and change my body care and cleaning products.

I (falsely) assumed that if I made enough changes - sacrificed HARD enough - I wouldn’t have to deal with flare ups.

It was exhausting. Many of the changes DID help. A low histamine diet, cleaner air, a proper med and supplement schedule and non toxic cleaning products all helped to reduce my overall “bucket” so that my symptoms were less severe.

The problem was - I continued having attacks. From minor attacks to full blown anaphylaxis - no matter how much work I put in the attacks didn’t stop.

It was incredibly frustrating - and I began tracking everything I ate, used or did in an effort to find patterns.

In the end I realized that sometimes - there are no answers. “Putting in the work” doesn’t guarantee you won’t have attacks.

It’s a help - and we should do whatever we can to minimize our symptoms - but chronic illness (and especially MCAS) doesn’t care about your plans.

I had to learn to let go. Constantly blaming myself, over analyzing every situation and trying to nail down exact triggers was exhausting me.

It wasn’t helping my physical health and was destroying my mental health

At a certain point - we have to accept that chronic illness can be wildly unpredictable - and flares are NOT our fault.

Setbacks happen - and the best thing you can do is give yourself grace and remember that the pain WILL pass.

This applies to Covid as well. I see far too many people who are covid cautious being blamed for their infections. Being grilled as to what their exact precautions were as people try and exploit a perceived weakness somewhere.

This isn’t helping.

If you’re masking and doing everything you can do to avoid covid - you’re doing a great job. If you got infected anyways - that’s the fault of our institutions and governments who’ve allowed the virus to run rampant and encouraged people NOT to take precautions

Just like we have to let go of trying to find every possible trigger for our chronic illness - we have to let go of the blame when people get infected with Covid.

Blame, shame and guilt aren’t helping anyone - and they aren’t good for your health.

To be clear - “letting go” doesn’t have to mean giving up. It doesn’t mean you stop trying to improve your health or stop mitigating for COVID.

It simply means you stop fighting the reality that you’re sick. You lean IN to the conditions and try and find ways to accommodate

It’s a difficult thing to do. I’m still having to work at it every single day. But it’s worth making the effort.

Society, HCWs and even friends & family can be cruel to those with chronic illness - we don’t need to be cruel to ourselves.

Which brings me to my third and final article in my series on living with MCAS - Learning to Let Go.

This post explains how I learned to be kinder & gentler with myself and accept that setbacks WILL happen and they’re not my fault:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/learning-to-let-go-how-to-accept

1/2

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #MastCellActivationSyndrome #mastcells #histamine #lowhistaminediet #mastocytosis #anaphylaxis

When I was first diagnosed with MCAS I thought “a condition I can control!”

I genuinely believed that since there were clear & obvious triggers - I could put in the work, overhaul my life and be free of attacks.

When a patient plans - mast cells laugh.

I threw myself into research trying to learn how to adopt a low histamine diet, clean my air and change my body care and cleaning products.

I (falsely) assumed that if I made enough changes - sacrificed HARD enough - I wouldn’t have to deal with flare ups.

It was exhausting. Many of the changes DID help. A low histamine diet, cleaner air, a proper med and supplement schedule and non toxic cleaning products all helped to reduce my overall “bucket” so that my symptoms were less severe.

The problem was - I continued having attacks. From minor attacks to full blown anaphylaxis - no matter how much work I put in the attacks didn’t stop.

It was incredibly frustrating - and I began tracking everything I ate, used or did in an effort to find patterns.

In the end I realized that sometimes - there are no answers. “Putting in the work” doesn’t guarantee you won’t have attacks.

It’s a help - and we should do whatever we can to minimize our symptoms - but chronic illness (and especially MCAS) doesn’t care about your plans.

I had to learn to let go. Constantly blaming myself, over analyzing every situation and trying to nail down exact triggers was exhausting me.

It wasn’t helping my physical health and was destroying my mental health

At a certain point - we have to accept that chronic illness can be wildly unpredictable - and flares are NOT our fault.

Setbacks happen - and the best thing you can do is give yourself grace and remember that the pain WILL pass.

This applies to Covid as well. I see far too many people who are covid cautious being blamed for their infections. Being grilled as to what their exact precautions were as people try and exploit a perceived weakness somewhere.

This isn’t helping.

If you’re masking and doing everything you can do to avoid covid - you’re doing a great job. If you got infected anyways - that’s the fault of our institutions and governments who’ve allowed the virus to run rampant and encouraged people NOT to take precautions

Just like we have to let go of trying to find every possible trigger for our chronic illness - we have to let go of the blame when people get infected with Covid.

Blame, shame and guilt aren’t helping anyone - and they aren’t good for your health.

To be clear - “letting go” doesn’t have to mean giving up. It doesn’t mean you stop trying to improve your health or stop mitigating for COVID.

It simply means you stop fighting the reality that you’re sick. You lean IN to the conditions and try and find ways to accommodate

It’s a difficult thing to do. I’m still having to work at it every single day. But it’s worth making the effort.

Society, HCWs and even friends & family can be cruel to those with chronic illness - we don’t need to be cruel to ourselves.

Which brings me to my third and final article in my series on living with MCAS - Learning to Let Go.

This post explains how I learned to be kinder & gentler with myself and accept that setbacks WILL happen and they’re not my fault:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/learning-to-let-go-how-to-accept

1/2

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #MastCellActivationSyndrome #mastcells #histamine #lowhistaminediet #mastocytosis #anaphylaxis

When I was first diagnosed with MCAS I thought “a condition I can control!”

I genuinely believed that since there were clear & obvious triggers - I could put in the work, overhaul my life and be free of attacks.

When a patient plans - mast cells laugh.

I threw myself into research trying to learn how to adopt a low histamine diet, clean my air and change my body care and cleaning products.

I (falsely) assumed that if I made enough changes - sacrificed HARD enough - I wouldn’t have to deal with flare ups.

It was exhausting. Many of the changes DID help. A low histamine diet, cleaner air, a proper med and supplement schedule and non toxic cleaning products all helped to reduce my overall “bucket” so that my symptoms were less severe.

The problem was - I continued having attacks. From minor attacks to full blown anaphylaxis - no matter how much work I put in the attacks didn’t stop.

It was incredibly frustrating - and I began tracking everything I ate, used or did in an effort to find patterns.

In the end I realized that sometimes - there are no answers. “Putting in the work” doesn’t guarantee you won’t have attacks.

It’s a help - and we should do whatever we can to minimize our symptoms - but chronic illness (and especially MCAS) doesn’t care about your plans.

I had to learn to let go. Constantly blaming myself, over analyzing every situation and trying to nail down exact triggers was exhausting me.

It wasn’t helping my physical health and was destroying my mental health

At a certain point - we have to accept that chronic illness can be wildly unpredictable - and flares are NOT our fault.

Setbacks happen - and the best thing you can do is give yourself grace and remember that the pain WILL pass.

This applies to Covid as well. I see far too many people who are covid cautious being blamed for their infections. Being grilled as to what their exact precautions were as people try and exploit a perceived weakness somewhere.

This isn’t helping.

If you’re masking and doing everything you can do to avoid covid - you’re doing a great job. If you got infected anyways - that’s the fault of our institutions and governments who’ve allowed the virus to run rampant and encouraged people NOT to take precautions

Just like we have to let go of trying to find every possible trigger for our chronic illness - we have to let go of the blame when people get infected with Covid.

Blame, shame and guilt aren’t helping anyone - and they aren’t good for your health.

To be clear - “letting go” doesn’t have to mean giving up. It doesn’t mean you stop trying to improve your health or stop mitigating for COVID.

It simply means you stop fighting the reality that you’re sick. You lean IN to the conditions and try and find ways to accommodate

It’s a difficult thing to do. I’m still having to work at it every single day. But it’s worth making the effort.

Society, HCWs and even friends & family can be cruel to those with chronic illness - we don’t need to be cruel to ourselves.

Which brings me to my third and final article in my series on living with MCAS - Learning to Let Go.

This post explains how I learned to be kinder & gentler with myself and accept that setbacks WILL happen and they’re not my fault:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/learning-to-let-go-how-to-accept

1/2

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #MastCellActivationSyndrome #mastcells #histamine #lowhistaminediet #mastocytosis #anaphylaxis

When I was first diagnosed with MCAS I thought “a condition I can control!”

I genuinely believed that since there were clear & obvious triggers - I could put in the work, overhaul my life and be free of attacks.

When a patient plans - mast cells laugh.

I threw myself into research trying to learn how to adopt a low histamine diet, clean my air and change my body care and cleaning products.

I (falsely) assumed that if I made enough changes - sacrificed HARD enough - I wouldn’t have to deal with flare ups.

It was exhausting. Many of the changes DID help. A low histamine diet, cleaner air, a proper med and supplement schedule and non toxic cleaning products all helped to reduce my overall “bucket” so that my symptoms were less severe.

The problem was - I continued having attacks. From minor attacks to full blown anaphylaxis - no matter how much work I put in the attacks didn’t stop.

It was incredibly frustrating - and I began tracking everything I ate, used or did in an effort to find patterns.

In the end I realized that sometimes - there are no answers. “Putting in the work” doesn’t guarantee you won’t have attacks.

It’s a help - and we should do whatever we can to minimize our symptoms - but chronic illness (and especially MCAS) doesn’t care about your plans.

I had to learn to let go. Constantly blaming myself, over analyzing every situation and trying to nail down exact triggers was exhausting me.

It wasn’t helping my physical health and was destroying my mental health

At a certain point - we have to accept that chronic illness can be wildly unpredictable - and flares are NOT our fault.

Setbacks happen - and the best thing you can do is give yourself grace and remember that the pain WILL pass.

This applies to Covid as well. I see far too many people who are covid cautious being blamed for their infections. Being grilled as to what their exact precautions were as people try and exploit a perceived weakness somewhere.

This isn’t helping.

If you’re masking and doing everything you can do to avoid covid - you’re doing a great job. If you got infected anyways - that’s the fault of our institutions and governments who’ve allowed the virus to run rampant and encouraged people NOT to take precautions

Just like we have to let go of trying to find every possible trigger for our chronic illness - we have to let go of the blame when people get infected with Covid.

Blame, shame and guilt aren’t helping anyone - and they aren’t good for your health.

To be clear - “letting go” doesn’t have to mean giving up. It doesn’t mean you stop trying to improve your health or stop mitigating for COVID.

It simply means you stop fighting the reality that you’re sick. You lean IN to the conditions and try and find ways to accommodate

It’s a difficult thing to do. I’m still having to work at it every single day. But it’s worth making the effort.

Society, HCWs and even friends & family can be cruel to those with chronic illness - we don’t need to be cruel to ourselves.

Which brings me to my third and final article in my series on living with MCAS - Learning to Let Go.

This post explains how I learned to be kinder & gentler with myself and accept that setbacks WILL happen and they’re not my fault:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/learning-to-let-go-how-to-accept

1/2

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #MastCellActivationSyndrome #mastcells #histamine #lowhistaminediet #mastocytosis #anaphylaxis

When I was first diagnosed with MCAS I thought “a condition I can control!”

I genuinely believed that since there were clear & obvious triggers - I could put in the work, overhaul my life and be free of attacks.

When a patient plans - mast cells laugh.

I threw myself into research trying to learn how to adopt a low histamine diet, clean my air and change my body care and cleaning products.

I (falsely) assumed that if I made enough changes - sacrificed HARD enough - I wouldn’t have to deal with flare ups.

It was exhausting. Many of the changes DID help. A low histamine diet, cleaner air, a proper med and supplement schedule and non toxic cleaning products all helped to reduce my overall “bucket” so that my symptoms were less severe.

The problem was - I continued having attacks. From minor attacks to full blown anaphylaxis - no matter how much work I put in the attacks didn’t stop.

It was incredibly frustrating - and I began tracking everything I ate, used or did in an effort to find patterns.

In the end I realized that sometimes - there are no answers. “Putting in the work” doesn’t guarantee you won’t have attacks.

It’s a help - and we should do whatever we can to minimize our symptoms - but chronic illness (and especially MCAS) doesn’t care about your plans.

I had to learn to let go. Constantly blaming myself, over analyzing every situation and trying to nail down exact triggers was exhausting me.

It wasn’t helping my physical health and was destroying my mental health

At a certain point - we have to accept that chronic illness can be wildly unpredictable - and flares are NOT our fault.

Setbacks happen - and the best thing you can do is give yourself grace and remember that the pain WILL pass.

This applies to Covid as well. I see far too many people who are covid cautious being blamed for their infections. Being grilled as to what their exact precautions were as people try and exploit a perceived weakness somewhere.

This isn’t helping.

If you’re masking and doing everything you can do to avoid covid - you’re doing a great job. If you got infected anyways - that’s the fault of our institutions and governments who’ve allowed the virus to run rampant and encouraged people NOT to take precautions

Just like we have to let go of trying to find every possible trigger for our chronic illness - we have to let go of the blame when people get infected with Covid.

Blame, shame and guilt aren’t helping anyone - and they aren’t good for your health.

To be clear - “letting go” doesn’t have to mean giving up. It doesn’t mean you stop trying to improve your health or stop mitigating for COVID.

It simply means you stop fighting the reality that you’re sick. You lean IN to the conditions and try and find ways to accommodate

It’s a difficult thing to do. I’m still having to work at it every single day. But it’s worth making the effort.

Society, HCWs and even friends & family can be cruel to those with chronic illness - we don’t need to be cruel to ourselves.

Which brings me to my third and final article in my series on living with MCAS - Learning to Let Go.

This post explains how I learned to be kinder & gentler with myself and accept that setbacks WILL happen and they’re not my fault:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/learning-to-let-go-how-to-accept

1/2

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #MastCellActivationSyndrome #mastcells #histamine #lowhistaminediet #mastocytosis #anaphylaxis

Great video from Matt McGorry about the devastating impacts of Long COVID and how even a “mild” infection can leave you chronically ill.

He also says he was hesitant to speak out - because there IS a stigma associated with Long COVID.

We must change that.

He goes on to explain that while his initial infections would be considered “mild”… they’ve still left him with debilitating Long Covid.

It’s critical that people understand this. Too many think that hospitalization and/or death in the acute phase are the only negative outcomes.

Note that in its moderate and severe stages - Long Covid and other comorbids can have a quality of life equivalent of stage four cancer.

I had clipped short portions of the video to share on here - but my internet is currently giving upload speeds less than 1mbps and it keeps throwing errors. That said it’s an excellent video and you can watch the full thing on his IG here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBra_TSRhpz/?igsh=MWMwMzZwY25qMDl6aA==

On a personal note I want to thank Matt for his honesty and transparency. We need more of it.
We have too many celebrities and people with platforms saying "mystery illness". Too many people unwilling or unable to say the word covid.

With transparency comes greater awareness.

I wrote an article during the Olympics about the phenomenon that is people proclaiming they "don't know anyone with Long Covid."

There's 400 million people suffering from the condition. I assure you - you DO know someone. People are simply hiding it or unaware they have it:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/covid-and-the-2024-olympic-games

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

When you become chronically ill - it’s tempting to try and outrun your suffering. Play through the pain. Push your body back to “normal.”

It doesn’t help that we constantly face ableism and discrimination from medical professionals, friends and family who are often quick to tell us it’s “not that bad” and we should just “try harder.”

You can’t “try harder” your way out of chronic illness. Pushing through and denying your body the rest it needs only leads to more suffering.

It took me a very long time to learn this. Letting go of the guilt, the doubt, the internalized ableism….. it’s not an easy thing to do.

My article on how I finally learned to Let Go and start accepting and accommodating my disabilities:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/learning-to-let-go-how-to-accept

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

“You could be doing more.”

“Is the pain really THAT bad? I’m sure you could get out of bed if you really tried.”

“Why aren’t you going to that party/dinner/event? Everyone thinks you’re lazy and antisocial.”

“Do you really need to stay home from work? You’re being lazy. Force yourself to go in.”

“Do you really need to go to the hospital? It’s not that bad - just push through.”

“See? The ER doctor didn’t even help you. It was stupid of you to go in. There’s nothing wrong. Just try harder.”

This used to be my harmful inner monologue.

I’m sure all of us with chronic illness have said similar things to ourselves.

It’s incredibly hard to adapt to becoming disabled - and we often gaslight ourselves and push our bodies to their breaking point.

We run from reality.

It’s understandable - no one WANTS to be chronically ill. We didn’t grow up hoping to spend our lives stuck in bed dealing with unrelenting pain & fatigue.

Chronic illness can and does strike out of nowhere - catching you off guard and forever altering the course of your life.

Of course that’s a difficult thing to accept.

Often we have doctors, friends and family downplaying our situation - telling us to “just try harder” or that “other people have it worse”.

Who in the chronic illness community hasn’t heard “have you tried yoga?” Or “just be glad you don’t have X condition”?

The reality is people have a difficult time facing chronic illness. This doesn’t just apply to patients. Those who love us can struggle to accept it as well.

Watching someone lose their health is hard. Knowing there’s no hope of improvement? It scares people.

We understand acute illness. You get sick or injured, you rest and then you get better. Things go “back to normal”.

We also understand terminal illness. We are able to process a condition that will gradually get worse and then take your life. /6
Where we struggle is with chronic illness. Existing in the grey. People HATE the grey.

They find it hard to imagine that you could become sick with something that will completely ruin your quality of life - but won’t kill you.

They can’t imagine that the suffering could continue for months, years and even decades.

So they deny it. They minimize it. They tell us to try harder, think positive & play through the pain.

We internalize those messages - and before you know it - you’re doubting yourself.

I did this for years. Constantly telling myself it wasn’t really “that bad”. I just needed to try harder, exercise more, avoid the hospital, think positive etc etc.

It didn’t work. You can’t “try harder” your way out of chronic illness. It doesn’t work that way.

Society is already so cruel to people with disabilities - we don’t need to be cruel to ourselves.

It took me a long time to realize this. To let go of the blame and accept that I WAS severely ill. It wasn’t my fault, I hadn’t done anything wrong.

It was time to put the “coulds” and the “shoulds” to bed and find a way to move into a place of kindness and acceptance.

It was time to stop running from my illnesses. To stop trying to figure out every single flare. To stop putting myself down.

It didn’t come easy. In fact I still struggle every day.

But I’m putting in the effort. The amazing thing is the more effort I put into letting go - the happier I am.

Instead of wasting energy on blame - I’m finding ways to adapt & accommodate my diseases.

I’m managing to carve out moments of peace and calm - which when you’re chronically ill can be incredible rare.

Our bodies are unreliable - constantly throwing us curve balls, flares and setbacks.

We NEED the calm wherever we can find it.

Which brings me to my third and final article in my series on living with MCAS - Learning to Let Go.

I hope this article helps other people find their own path to acceptance, accommodation and peace:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/learning-to-let-go-how-to-accept

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

The early days of the pandemic were scary for everyone - but for many disabled people there were also rays of hope.

We saw the world become more inclusive seemingly overnight. Things we had spent years begging for - like telemedicine and remote work options - became possible. We made it easier for those who are housebound to access the services they need. We checked on our neighbours. We worked together to protect one another. We stopped vilifying and gaslighting housebound people like me - because suddenly EVERYONE was housebound.

I also had hope that we were finally going to make real progress on chronic illness. That Long Covid would be “too big to ignore.”

That we would start being proactive with our health and work towards keeping people healthy and really HELPING those who were chronically ill.

I genuinely still can’t believe that 400 million people are suffering from Long Covid. The numbers are growing every day and yet we do nothing to stop it (and very little to treat it).

No progress has been made on the comorbids either. I had POTS and MCAS before covid - and my treatments haven’t improved at all. In fact it’s harder to access the medical care I need because specialists treating these conditions are so overwhelmed by the rapid influx of new patients with Long Covid.

I have empathy for those who believed they would be the exception. Who thought that IF they were unlucky enough to be disabled by Covid - help would be there for them. Even though it’s never been there for the rest of us.

All these people are going through a very rude awakening right now - they’re being forced to confront the reality that patients like me have been dealing with for years.

No one is coming to save us. Our “sick” is permanent. No one is the exception.

Just like I have to deal with the pain of having the hope of a more inclusive and caring society ripped away - these newly disabled people have to deal with the pain of realizing they are in fact disabled. That they were lied to when they were told they didn’t have to worry. That they aren’t getting better.

It’s a hard adjustment - one that I hope The Disabled Ginger can help with.

In the meantime the best thing we can do for our own health and the health of those around us is prevent the spread of Covid. Wear a mask. Clean the air. Test and isolate when sick. Get vaccinated. Don’t take your health for granted.

Even if YOU don’t think you’re high risk - it’s an airborne virus. You could pass your “mild” case to someone like me who ends up further disabled or dead.

We can do this - but we have to work together. “You do you” isn’t working. We have to remember what it felt like during those first few months of 2020 when we tried to work as a collective whole. Where we protected the vulnerable, took the virus seriously and made society more accessible and inclusive.

We can do it again. We just have to decide to try.

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

It’s been a month since Tinu’s passing and we still don’t have mandatory masks in healthcare. Something Tinu both NEEDED & fought for.

Someone with Long Covid going through chemo deserved to be SAFE while getting her care.

She deserved NOT to be given COVID again

There are many others like Tinu. We can’t know how many we’ve lost - but what we DO know is we will lose more if we don’t start mitigating Covid - especially in hospitals.

We know how Covid is spread. We know how to stop it. Yet we still have doctors saying they don’t want to mask because they’re not worried about THEIR risk. They’re forgetting the fact that the patients feel differently.

Patients care. Patients are putting their full trust in you to make them better. They’re trusting you NOT to make them worse.

Hospital acquired Covid has a fatality rate around 10% - and still we do nothing. In many instances we act like it’s just “the cost of doing business”. It’s not and it should never be acceptable to contract covid in the hospital.

I’ve said it once and I will say it again - if you’re sick enough to need the hospital the last thing you need is Covid.

If you’re a healthcare worker - please wear a mask. You don’t have to wait for a mandate to do the right thing. You can choose - right now - to stop chains of transmission. You can show patients that you’re on their side and committed to ensuring they get through their hospital visit without contracting COVID. You can tell us that our lives and long term health matters.

Hospitals, healthcare workers and society all failed Tinu. She fought so hard - for herself and for others. She knew that it would likely be hospital acquired Covid that killed her - and she did everything she could to raise awareness so it wouldn’t happen to anyone else.

Let’s keep fighting in her honour. Clean the air, ventilate, make masks mandatory, provide free respirators and isolate when sick. It’s not hard. We can do it.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/a-plea-to-maskless-healthcare-workers

#forTinu #CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

Before you tell a disabled person that they need to “just make the healthcare worker mask”… please understand the imbalance of power that exists in hospital settings.

We can’t “just make them” do anything. If they refuse -our options are to take the risk or go without care.

There’s little recourse when a HCW refuses to mask - there’s almost NO recourse that exists in the moment.

You can file a complaint after the fact - but if the care you require is urgent or an emergency - that won’t help you

Imagine you’re taken to the emergency room with an urgent (or life threatening) issue. The doctor comes in and refuses to wear a mask.

Do you walk out? Throw a fit? These are not good options

Even if you manage to keep your composure and strongly advocate for them to reconsider - the longer you argue the more potential virus you’re being exposed to.

The more you “annoy” the staff - the greater the odds of retaliation or reduction in care.

This isn’t like telling a friend or a colleague to mask. The dynamic is completely different.

HCWs have the ability to help you or harm you. You want them on your side.

A note in your chart indicating you’re anxious, difficult, non compliant etc can follow you around and impact all your care going forward. Getting charts corrected and notes removed is a time consuming and difficult process

As a result many patients don’t push the issue. They delay medical care as long as possible and then just cross their fingers they will get a compassionate HCW when they do finally go.

These delays can also cause harm - and shouldn’t be necessary.

Hospitals have never been terribly safe places. They’re where the strongest and most resistant bugs thrive. They’re also where the sickest and most vulnerable people are.

At least before Covid it felt like hospitals were TRYING to prevent infection.

These days it’s as though any amount of infection control is seen as weak. People are actually bragging about how many times they’ve had Covid or about the risks they’re taking with their health. Staff aren’t masking even around babies, cancer & transplant patients

We have to change course. Our healthcare systems could barely handle the amount of chronic illness they were facing before Covid - they certainly can’t handle the constant influx of disabled patients and staff that Covid is causing.

This is why we need mandatory masks in healthcare settings. The responsibility to keep themselves and others safe should NOT fall on the vulnerable patient.

Many are unable to advocate for themselves - and others are unable to mask.

Mandatory masking protects everyone

Lastly - the solution to this problem should not be “don’t go to the hospital”. It’s not right to make ANY patient feel like they’re wrong for seeking care. Like they’ve somehow “failed” if they end up with Covid.

Until you’re facing a life threatening emergency or serious health challenges - you can’t possibly know what you would do.

Is it scary to go to the hospital right now? Of course. Is it also necessary? Absolutely.

Patients should never be blamed for needing care or for being unable to get HCWs to mask. The system is failing us - we aren’t failing each other.

If you need the hospital - you have all my love & support. It’s impossibly hard - and I will keep fighting to make it better.

As long as hospitals refuse to do what’s right to prevent COVID (hello clean air & mandatory masking)… the onus is unfairly on the PATIENT to avoid COVID.

My guide offers tips to reduce your risk of hospital acquired COVID (and other HAIs)

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/how-to-stay-covid-safe-when-in-hospital

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

Many disabled and chronically ill people find themselves labeled “difficult” or “non compliant” simply because they’re advocating for what they need.

Some examples:

😷 you request staff wear a mask

😷 You decline to remove your mask unnecessarily (ie for an oral temperature check that could be performed other ways)

😷 You decline a specific drug and/or treatment because you know it will harm you (example - fluoroquinolones are contradicted for EDS patients and not all doctors know this)

😷 You push for additional testing because you feel something has been missed

😷 You request a med be administered a different way (example - a slow drip over 30 min instead of pushed all at once - VERY important if you’re blood pressure is unstable and/or your prone to anaphylaxis)

All these examples are GOOD advocacy and should NOT be considered “non compliant”.

If you’re a healthcare worker - please be careful when you choose to use this term. It can follow us around and have devastating impacts on the care we receive.

Try to reframe how you look at the patient - work WITH them instead of working AT them. We are the experts in our bodies.

You may have the medical degree - but if we’re saying “No” to something there is probably a very good reason.

Listen before you judge us.

To all my fellow non compliant patients - never forget that it’s NOT your fault if things go sideways when you advocate for your personal safety. It is your right and no one will fight harder for you than … you!

For more on advocacy, tips and tricks for the hospital, how to stay covid safe and how the hospital experience is different for those who are disabled or chronically ill - my five part guide is here:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/a-five-part-guide-to-accessing-healthcare

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

Back when masks were still mandated in hospitals - I had to go for an echocardiogram. It was being done in a clinic for HIGH RISK heart patients.

I assumed that meant I would be well protected - only to end up having to fight for my own safety multiple times.

First - if you’ve never had an echocardiogram - they can last approximately 45 min and during that time the technician is VERY close to your face. You have to do a lot of deep breathing as well.

It is certainly not a low risk activity.
As such I made sure I was wearing my fit tested N99 mask AND wore a face shield for extra protection.

I’m immune compromised with heart issues - I need all the help I can get.

The shield keeps me from touching my face and protects me if someone coughs or sneezes on me.

I arrive at hospital & am forced to stand in a crowded line of people waiting to be screened.

They were asked standard questions like “have you travelled outside of Canada” and “do you have a fever?”

We know both are woefully inadequate at determining if someone has Covid.

I watched as people were forced to remove their own mask and put on the hospital provided surgical mask (yes - even people in respirators).

There were three people doing the screening - so that’s at least 3 patients at a time taking off their masks.

When it’s finally my turn I calmly tell the screener that I’m wearing an N99 and not comfortable switching masks.

They tell me I have no choice because they don’t know if my mask is “contaminated” or “counterfeit”.

Thankfully I was prepared for this and produced the box showing that my mask was NIOSH certified. I also pointed out a mask is no more “contaminated” than my shoes, clothes or any other article of clothing AND that my shield prevented me from touching it.

Not good enough. They said if I wouldn’t change my mask I would be denied entry.

I have no immune system. Im wearing a mask that affords me 99% protection - while surrounded by unmasked people coughing, wheezing and blowing their noses. I’m not taking it off.
I request a supervisor. They sigh and roll their eyes but storm off to get someone.

At this point I’m late for my appointment AND being exposed to even more people without masks. I’m truly gobsmacked that this is happening in a HOSPITAL of all places.

Someone more senior arrives and gives me the same flawed droplet dogma logic as the last person.

I finally said - firmly but politely - I’m not removing my mask. This is MY personal protective equipment and I don’t consent to you putting me at increased risk.

Finally they agreed to let me in if I put their mask OVER my own. They forced me to sanitize my hands before and after despite my never touching the surface of my mask - and deigned to let me in.

🧵 1/2

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

This was hands down one of the hardest articles I’ve ever had to write - my plea to maskless healthcare workers from vulnerable patients.

I’ve dedicated it to @Tinu - a Long Covid patient and disability advocate who passed away three weeks ago.

She had cancer - and the healthcare workers treating her refused to mask.

This MUST stop. Patients both need and deserve protection.

You CHOSE to work in healthcare. We didn’t CHOOSE to be sick. We would rather be anywhere other than the hospital.

We need you to help us get better - which is virtually impossible when you’re constantly exposing us to a deadly and disabling virus.

Tinu’s first Covid infection left her completely disabled - and then she developed cancer as well. How callous do you need to be to refuse to mask for someone like her?

I hope my article honours her memory - as well as encourages healthcare workers to think a bit differently. It’s not about YOU and whether you feel you’re at risk. It’s about your patients who ARE at risk.

We need you to do the right thing - mandate or not. Do it for Tinu. Do it for me. Do it for all your patients who are scared in your care. Do it for the next generation who needs us to protect them. Put the mask on.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/a-plea-to-maskless-healthcare-workers

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #fortinu

A study came out recently that showed a single COVID infection increases your risk of serious cardiovascular events for 3 years post infection.

That’s terrifying - but there’s a bigger discussion being missed.

That finding means a Covid infection makes you a “vulnerable”.

First off - the study didn't show that after three years your risk returns to pre-COVID levels. It's three years because that's all the data we have.

For all we know your risk never goes back to where it was before.

The increased risk factor was after ONE infection. Now I don't know about everyone else - but I don't know many people who are stopping at one infection.

Most have had it at LEAST three times - and because we aren't mitigating it at all - are getting it annually (or more frequently than that).

In time I'm sure we will see studies that make it clear how much risk reinfections pose - but if we know ONE infection raises your risk for three years - it's safe to assume multiple infections aren't doing your heart any favours.

There's also the fact that the increased risk applies even for those who had "mild" acute infections - once again proving that there really is no such thing as "mild COVID."

You may be asymptomatic. You may recover quickly. It’s still damaging your body in a myriad of ways.

"Only the vulnerable" need to worry.

Wrong again. The study showed that increased cardiovascular risk impacted everyone who had Covid - not JUST the vulnerable.

There's also decent odds you're now IN the vulnerable category because you had Covid.

Don't understand what I mean? Think it's fear mongering?

What makes someone vulnerable? Preexisting conditions, old age, compromised immune systems.
When a study finds an increased risk of severe cardiac issues - that means you have a comorbid condition!

That "increased risk" is because you now have cardiovascular issues. High blood pressure, narrowed arteries, increased clotting etc.

Congratulations - you're now one of the “vulnerable" for at least the next three years!

We've also seen a number of studies showing that COVID impairs the immune system. We even know it prematurely AGES you.

So you "feel" fine. You think you had a “mild" case. But the reality is you're immune compromised AND have cardiovascular disease.

You may actually be more "vulnerable" than disabled people like me who you look down.

Why? Because I know l'm vulnerable so I do everything I can to avoid COVID infections.
I'm not repeatedly stressing my body with constant reinfections. 1/2 🧵

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #silentkiller

When you're chronically ill - the decision of WHEN to go to the hospital can be daunting. Disabled people don't experience hospitals the same way as our non-disabled peers.

For us - the hospital is full of threats. When we're a patient - we give up agency and control to others who may not fully understand our needs or our conditions.

We risk being gaslit, dismissed, psychologized or otherwise traumatized.

As a result - many of us opt to never go to the hospital unless we think we're literally dying. It's terribly unfair that we have to make these choices - but the risks of setbacks and harm are simply too great.

What if there was a way to make the experience just a little bit easier? We can't change the system overnight - but with a bit of preparation and knowledge it IS possible to make it safer.

This is my Five Part Guide to Making the Hospital Experience Safer for Chronically Ill Patients. Please stick around to the end and vote in my poll for an upcoming piece!

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/a-five-part-guide-to-accessing-healthcare

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

People make insensitive comments about disability ALL the time. Implying we’re “lucky” that we don’t have to work, that they wish they could “lay around” etc.

They don’t understand the “crip tax”.

It’s expensive being chronically ill. And no one teaches you HOW to cope.

Even if you’re fortunate to have good insurance and/or live somewhere with universal healthcare (like Canada)… the costs add up quick.

Take Canada for example - seeing a doctor is covered - medications, dental and vision aren’t.

If you have complex chronic illness - prescription costs alone can quickly spiral out of control.

Even if you have private coverage - many things aren’t covered. Almost half of what I take wouldn’t be covered by insurance - even with specialist prescription.

Other costs people don’t consider:

💰 Special diet (mine is incredibly restrictive)

💰 Medical and first aid supplies, home healthcare supplies etc

💰 Delivery, homecare, cleaning services, transportation, mobility aids.

If you have MCAS and/or Long Covid or are covid cautious … you can add a whole bunch more expenses to the list:

💰Air purifiers
💰Specialized body & oral care products
💰MCAS safe cleaning products
💰Respirators
💰Rapid tests

The bottom line is being disabled is expensive. Losing your autonomy and independence costs money.

Juggling everything we need to stay alive and maintain a baseline while also trying to ensure we keep a roof over our heads is a full time job.

As if that wasn’t enough - we also have to chase down doctors, follow up on tests, deal with medical gaslighting, covid risk in hospitals, HCWs who won’t mask etc. We do this while suffering the pain of being abandoned by family, friends & society.

It’s not lucky. It’s hard.

There’s other costs people never even consider - like the cost of relying on delivery services that more often than not get it wrong.

In my case - my diet is so restrictive that if a shopper brings the wrong item - it’s going to go to waste.

When you only have about ten safe foods and your delivery screws up five of them - you’re either going to go hungry for a week OR you have to place another order.

But orders have minimum spends and you have to tip a shopper twice. That adds up FAST.

I can’t tell you how much I miss being able to just pop to the store and get my own groceries. Grab a single ingredient without having to meet a minimum spend.

Many non disabled people see grocery shopping as a chore - I see it as a luxury I no longer have.

These are the types of issues you have to deal with when you become disabled that NO ONE teaches you about. 1/2 🧵

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #criptax

Ugly laws will be enforced in Louisville. Medical masks will be allowed at “police discretion”.

Police chief says: “We do have to look at behavior of person, what they're doing at time, those kinds of things."

I have a disability that makes me LOOK nervous. I “appear” like I could be doing something wrong. As a result these bans terrify me.

Disabled people have been begging others to mask for years because we were afraid of this exact outcome.

Failure to normalize masking means those of us who NEED to wear them are seen as outliers. Deviants. Possibly criminals. There’s a target on our back.

Medical exemptions are not the answer - they leave too many people behind.

Everyone should have the right to protect themselves from a deadly & disabling virus. Whether already disabled or not.

Banning masks and then saying that the police will determine who is “legit” in wearing one based on their overall behaviour? Its terrifying.

This is exactly HOW profiling occurs. These bans will disproportionately impact marginalized individuals and people of colour.

They could also impact someone with a condition like mine. I’m immune compromised and high risk for Covid complications - so I ALWAYS wear a fitted respirator when I’m outside my home.

I also have dysautonomia - a literal malfunctioning of my autonomic nervous system.

If I’m upright - I “look” nervous. I’m sweaty, shaky, twitchy and sometimes wobbling. I’ve been accused of being drunk in public on MANY occasions.

It’s not my fault - Dysautonomia means I can’t regulate my blood pressure, heart rate, sweating & even pupil dilation.

The things that cops are trained to look for and consider “suspicious” are all symptoms of my disease.

In the past - the worst thing I had to worry about was being accused of public drunkenness. Even THAT was scary for me.

Mask bans mean I could be arrested and charged with a crime. Just for trying to keep myself & others safe.

I tell this story to encourage others to speak up against mask bans. To mask up in solidarity and help us normalize them so they will be harder to ban.

To encourage people to stop assuming if you have a “legitimate medical reason” you won’t have to worry. We DO worry.

We need less judgement, assumptions and gaslighting and more allies. These laws are dangerous. They will lead to more death, disability AND division.

Many of us have difficulty convincing HCWs of our illnesses - what hope do we have with police?

Please - if you CAN mask - now is the time. You don’t have to wait for a mandate or permission. You can choose to say “enough is enough” & be part of the solution. Break chains of transmission. Protect the vulnerable. Don’t allow government to decide who is & isn’t expendable.

We all have power and agency and can choose to do the right thing. We don’t have to sit idly by and accept repeated covid infections & exclusion of disabled people from public life.

Let’s work together and stop these bans before it’s too late.

https://www.wdrb.com/news/louisville-police-chief-clarifies-enforcement-of-anti-mask-ordinance-after-community-concerns/article_bdd6c686-80f2-11ef-9cc6-2b975b47af23.html

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #UglyLaws

This is where ugly laws lead… to disabled people being excluded from essential public places like grocery stores.

If you CAN mask and are choosing not to - you’re contributing to this problem. If you’re not opposing mask bans - you’re making it easy to exclude us.

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #maskup #wearamask #eugenics #discrimination #ableism #disabilityrights #nomaskbans #maskbans #uglylaws #FightMaskBans #WearAMask

I called EMS once and police showed up before paramedics (paramedics were busy).

The first thing they said? “You don’t look sick.”

They waited for paramedics who took me to hospital - but that initial response stuck with me.

It’s why mask bans are dangerous. Police aren’t trained to make medical decisions. They shouldn’t be the ones deciding who can and can’t legally wear a mask.

Many illnesses are invisible - you wouldn’t KNOW we’re disabled to look at us.

Most of us have experienced gaslighting from friends, family and even doctors - people are quick to judge and decide you’re “not that sick.”

So are we really expected to risk criminal charges by wearing a respirator & just HOPE police will believe we truly “need it”?

Not to mention that medical exemptions leave behind anyone who wants to mask to protect and preserve their health - as well as caregivers and family of disabled people.

We rely on them to keep us safe - we NEED them masking in public.

I sincerely hope more people join the fight against mask bans soon - because if we don’t fight against them - more cities and states will pass them and more people will suffer.

A good respirator is excellent protection against covid & other illnesses.

We shouldn’t be further excluding disabled and high risk people from public - but that’s exactly what these ugly laws do.

Call your elected officials - tell them medical masks can not and should not be banned.

Don’t embrace escalating fascism and eugenics just because you don’t think it will impact you.

Don’t celebrate it because you hold a grudge about mask mandates.

It won’t stop with disabled people. Help us now & your future self will thank you.

My full article on mask bans, medical exemptions and how we’re witnessing (and even welcoming) escalating eugenics and fascism: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/we-are-witnessing-real-time-eugenics

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #UglyLaws

“You don’t look sick”

“Life is for living not laying in bed”

“If you were really THAT sick you would be getting help.”

“If you’re really THAT sick you should be in a care home/hospital”

“Aren’t you better YET?”

“If you’re THAT sick you would be dead”

If you live long enough with chronic illness - you’re gaslit because you haven’t died.

We aren’t rewarded for surviving - we’re punished.

People can’t fathom the grey that we exist in. They understand acute illness and they understand terminal illness - they don’t understand severe chronic illness where the suffering is relentless and extreme but won’t necessarily kill you.

I’m convinced this isn’t because they CAN’T understand it - but rather they simply don’t want to. It scares them because it makes them realize that life is fragile. That they too could end up getting sick one day and just never getting better. Abandoned by the medical system, friends and family and essentially left to rot.

It’s awful how little compassion we give to people suffering from these conditions - and I try and raise awareness about it in the hopes people will think before they judge us.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/just-die-already

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms

Judge dismissed lawsuit filed by Disability Rights New York on behalf of two disabled individuals opposing Nassau County mask ban.

Reason? “There’s a medical exemption - you’ll be fine.”

If they thought they would be “fine” we wouldn’t need lawsuits!

This belies logic. We all know that not everyone will be considered “legit enough” to be masking. It’s not right to allow law enforcement to determine who can and can’t wear a mask.

This will also give police yet another reason to stop and harass people of colour.

For more on mask bans and why medical exemptions are NOT the answer: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nassau-county-ny-makes-masking-illegal

Original news article on the lawsuit https://apnews.com/article/mask-ban-long-island-new-york-78dc727b3fe212014ef4371f3ad07417

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #UglyLaws

I just had my first doctor tell me to ‘take off your mask so I can see your pretty face.’

I was there for an issue with my FEET. There was absolutely no reason for me to remove my mask.

I don’t know how much of this was misogyny and how much was related to pandemic politics (ie perhaps this doctor resents having to mask)… but I was incredibly uncomfortable with his remark.

I declined - as politely as humanly possible - and the whole tone of the appointment changed. I didn’t even get a diagnosis - I was told that the issue on my ankles was ‘not as ugly as I think’ ( I didn’t think it WAS ugly) and sent on my way.

I waited 18 months for this appointment - and the ‘issue’ is likely related to my vEDS and possibly severe. Multiple other doctors have expressed concern but said I had to wait for a specialist.

When patients are treated this way - it causes harm. It causes a distrust of the medical system. I can’t just ‘get a second opinion’ when the first one took 18 months.

When I’m less angry I may write an article about this - because patients (especially female presenting) deal with this crap FAR too often.

In the meantime - this experience underscores why we must always have an advocate with us in healthcare settings. It shouldn’t be this way - but it is.

My article on how to be the best possible advocate for a disabled patient: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/how-to-be-an-effective-advocate-for

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms

When I was a little kid - I knew I was “different”. I didn’t know WHY - but I didn’t want to play with other kids. I begged my parents not to make me do sports, gym or extra-curricular activities. I spent weekends sleeping instead of going to parties or watching Saturday morning cartoons.

Kids who develop chronic illness or disability early in life won’t necessarily KNOW they’re sick. They’re just learning how to express themselves - and if the symptoms started young they can’t possibly know it’s not “normal.” All too often they’re pushed to do things that are harmful to them - because adults assume they’re faking or attention seeking.

In my case it turned out I had vEDS - the most severe form of Ehlers Danlos syndrome. Which is why I was in pain all the time. Why I was constantly injured, sick and exhausted.

I didn’t even realize I was sick until university - living with other kids my age was a shocking wake up call. Seeing what they could do versus what I could do made abundantly obvious that my “different” was actually some sort of serious health challenge.

It took almost two more decades to finally get diagnosed.

I wrote about my struggles to realize I was disabled in a personal essay about libraries. It might sound strange - but my local public library became my safe haven. It’s where I went to rest, recharge and avoid bullying and judgement. Books never let me down and they helped me explore life in a safe and accessible manner.

What a gift that was: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/libraries-my-safe-haven-as-a-chronically

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