Truth is that everyone is an individual and side effects will happen with any drug. He unfortunately, experienced a debilitating one but there are millions who do not experience that. So, it is true, he is unlucky but I have seen so many patients who decide to go ahead because they just don’t believe they will be that small percentage to experience the bad ones.

Or injecting that fentanyl laced heroin…

My grandfather only lived to be a father because of the polio vaccine. Even my stepmother had polio in the fucking womb… it ate her kneecaps… she became a dancer to build leg muscle strength. My family has a valid, empirical respect for vaccines. I am a nurse and when I was young, I passed on the flu shots… until I got the flu… and found out what that hell was, I wasn’t sure if I would survive it. After that, I will get every flu shot offered, I take every Covid Booster, I go the shingles vax and next year, I will be eligible for the RSV shot. I am getting them all, like Pokeman.

OMG that made me think of that episode in King of the Hill where Luann had to retreat into taking care of the pool when she was in an untenable roommate situation…

But the ocean wants to kill you… (can’t blame oceans for wanting to kill humans but it is not your fault…). Therapy can be obtained in many different ways. I think maybe going to a therapist is for people who need motivation to care for themselves, need help starting to be healthy, compassionate and forgiving to themselves and get some coaching to find good ways to get there. We sometimes are in a place too low to help ourselves and need some help, a hand… guidance, encouragement and reinforcement that we are worth the trouble and energy.

It is sad when you start considering going to rehab just to get 28-30 days away from work to de-stress, get sleep, meditate, do some inner work and work on healthy habits. Because if you are single and not reproducing, you don’t get maternity leave and if you are young or middle aged and relatively healthy, you aren’t getting any orthopedic surgeries that render you temporarily disabled… and if you already lost your parents, there is no family leave… I mean, I can adopt or pretend to adopt I have some kind of addictive habit but would prefer not to-- Can’t I just take a mental health leave of absence and then return to my job? One week here or there every 6 months (if I am lucky) is just not going to do it.

Ok, but in my experience, it is manflu they are whining about and having to do house chores while having it. Shit I deal with every fucking day.

Walmart out of white hoods?