Notices by Broadwaybabyto (broadwaybabyto@zeroes.ca)

Doc to me: Could you be pregnant?

Me: Nope - they removed my uterus.

Doc: Are you sure? You look young. Maybe it was your appendix?

Me: I know the difference between my appendix and my WOMB.

Doc: Orders pregnancy test anyways

We really need to discuss how AFAB patients get treated by many doctors. If you need to do a pregnancy test on everyone as a matter of course - then just do the test. But don’t waste time arguing with me about whether I know the difference between an appendix and my LITERAL womb when I’m having a life threatening cardiac emergency.

#Gaslighting #disability #ChronicIllness #Spoonie #ableism #discrimination #advocacy

People keep shouting that if disabled people can’t cook or clean they should be institutionalized. Apparently accommodating us so we can live independent lives is angering others. Setting aside how awful many care homes are - do you realize there aren’t nearly enough beds?

I get that many ppl seem to want to completely disappear us from society. Seem to think we would be “better off” institutionalized even though many homes are dangerous places for disabled ppl. Even IF they were all sunshine & lollipops …do you think there’s enough of them?

Do you think they accept people of all disabilities? This idea that we should all have families or full time caregivers to support us is nonsense. It’s unrealistic and in many cases unnecessary. Many of us can & do learn to adapt on our own with part time help where available

The reality is we don’t have enough long term care beds to support everyone who’s chronically ill. Many places won’t take you until you’re a certain age. Many deny if you’re too unstable or don’t have rehabilitation goals. I know. I tried to find one & was repeatedly denied.

Stop assuming there’s some society wide program that places disabled people in homes that suit their unique circumstances. Many congregate settings are vectors for disease and neglect. We have to beg for access to places that often make us worse & reduce our quality of life

When you’re tempted to shout that we belong in a home - consider if it’s where YOU would want to be. Also look around - many countries are rapidly expanding their euthanasia programs to include disabled people with non terminal illnesses. Why do you think that is?

We are seeing rising disability numbers due to Covid - and the sad fact is we didn’t have enough supports for disabled people before the pandemic. We certainly can’t support the influx that’s currently occurring. So we are offering DEATH instead. Dead people cost less money.

I know folks are stuck in denial. They don’t want to accept the society wide risk associated with unmitigated COVID spread. But we are begging you to try. Try and think critically about WHY governments are expanding euthanasia programs.

Believe us when we tell you the dire lack of support available. We aren’t shouting about this because we want sympathy or enjoy complaining - we’re shouting because we can see the writing on the wall. We know our systems can’t support this much disability & people will suffer 1/2

#covidcautious #COVIDisAirborne #CovidIsNotOver #Eugenics #Ableism #disability #chronicillness #DisabilityJustice #Spoonies #WearAMask #cleanair

New introduction post - joined in Nov 2022 (as many did) and back now after a hiatus. I write about Covid, disability justice, ableism, eugenics, the experience of being chronically ill during a pandemic and life, loss and grief. Looking forward to connecting with people here again! #CovidIsNotOver #COVIDisAirborne #chronicillness #Ableism #DisabilityJustice #WearAMask #MaskUp #CleanAir #DisabilityRights

This #LongCovidAwarenessDay I want to say sorry. I’m sorry to everyone who’s joined the ranks of the chronically ill & disabled because our leaders, public health and fellow citizens refuse to take Covid seriously.

Those of us who were disabled before the pandemic could see this wave of chronic illness coming - and many of us have been screaming from the top of our lungs the last 4 years. Begging people not to take their health for granted & to wear a mask and protect themselves. Warning them that there are no do-overs once you become chronically ill.

Unfortunately very few people are listening - and many won’t understand the true devastation of #LongCovid until it directly impacts them. At which point it’ll be too late.

Despite seeing these waves of disability as an inevitable consequence of “let er rip” Covid strategy - one thing I did not see coming was how many people would willingly embrace not only ableism - but full on eugenics.

People in my own life who were previously kind & supportive have become cruel and angry. The masks have been ripped off. They don’t hesitate to tell me that they blame me for the restrictions placed on them in the early days of Covid - and that they will never again allow their freedoms to be infringed on in the name of protecting the vulnerable. One even went as far as to say “you’ve been sick for years - just die already.”

People who say these things don’t understand what disabled people understand all too well - your health is not a permanent state. Everyone will become disabled eventually…. Some of us earlier than others. Also many people who think they’re invulnerable are already vulnerable and don’t even know it.

Yet rather than adapting behaviour and pushing for a new normal that makes the world safe for everyone - most temporarily abled people have instead doubled down on hateful eugenics talking points and want us to stay home forever (or worse - die). It needs to stop.

Covid is airborne and we all share the air. “You do you” individualism is quite literally killing people. We need to start caring about the air we share as this will lead to a healthier society for everyone. Until then we need to mask up. It’s not hard, it’s incredibly effective & it might save someone’s life.

If you want to read more about the “friend” who told me I should “just die already”… I wrote about it & the behaviour changes I’ve noticed throughout the pandemic here: https://disabledginger.substack.com/p/just-die-already

#covid #CovidIsNotOver #CovidisAirborne #Eugenics #ableism #disabilityRights #ChronicIllness #WearAMask #CleanAir #MasksSaveLives