To the Doctor Who Called Us Lazy
Nothing. There is nothing — no fame, no sympathy, no poverty-level disability support — that makes having Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (MECFS) or Fibromyalgia “worth it.” The suggestion that we choose this life, that we exaggerate symptoms for attention, for money, or for some imagined secondary gain, is offensive. It’s also dangerous. You — and others like […]
When You’re Not Who You Used to Be (Part 2)
(A follow-up to “When Your Child Is a Psychopath”) When things are life or death, the simplest moments — the ones others might overlook — become milestones of survival. I wasn’t a psychopath as a teenager. I didn’t take joy in hurting others. I didn’t feel proud when someone cried or angry when they were […]
When Your Child Is a Psychopath (Part 1)
When things feel high-stakes — life or death — the smallest signs can mean everything. I’m not a psychopath. I wasn’t one as a teenager. I never took pleasure in harming others or seeing them suffer. Punishment made me feel guilt and shame. But at age 14, something shifted. I became someone I didn’t recognize […]
Can’t Get Sterilized Because I’m Gay
Original Post Summary: I had an appointment today to hopefully schedule a hysterectomy or tubal ligation. After discussing everything with the doctor, he told me he wouldn’t do the surgery — because I’m gay. Since I only sleep with women, he claimed I wasn’t at risk of getting pregnant and therefore didn’t need sterilization. When […]
Trauma-Informed Naming for Adoptees?
I applaud that understanding — especially when it comes to children’s connections to their biological families of origin, their rights, identities, history, and medical background. Two days before my 30th birthday, my legal name change was finalized. I received a new birth certificate and an official Change of Name form. I was never in care […]
If You Meet a Fellow Canadian Abroad, Do You Get Excited or Try to Avoid?
My parents, from Northwestern Ontario, went on a European vacation in the summer of 2008. In Bruges, Belgium, on a beer tour, they met, sat with, and shared a beer with a couple. It was a pleasant evening, but as my dad said at the end, “Nice to meet you. See you never, right?” The […]