“There is a certain irony here, because many of the first werewolves to be outed in society from the 16th through the 18th centuries were actually women. Just as our American ancestors had their Salem Witch Trials, Europe had its Werewolf Trials, and a large number of the so-called “werewolves” tortured and burned at the stake were female. […]
In the 17th-century werewolf trials of Estonia, women were about 150 percent more likely to be accused of lycanthropy; however, they were about 100 percent less likely to be remembered for it.”
“Here’s also a pronounced lack of female werewolves in popular culture. Their near absence in literature and film is explained away by various fancies: they’re sterile, an aberration, or—most galling of all—they don’t even exist.Their omission from popular culture does one thing very effectively: It prevents us, and men especially, from being confronted by hairy, ugly, uncontrollable women. Shapeshifting women in fantasy stories tend to transform into animals that we consider feminine, such as cats or birds, which are pretty and dainty, and occasionally slick and wicked serpents. But because the werewolf represents traits that are accepted as masculine—strength, large size, violence, and hirsutism—we tend to think of the werewolf as being naturally male. The female werewolf is disturbing because she entirely breaks the rules of femininity.”
— Julia Oldham, Why Are There No Great Female Werewolves?
I always thought this was wild, because the idea of a person who goes through a change once a month, like the moon and its tides, with the spilling of blood, was such an obvious metaphor.
That all werewolves aren’t ‘AFAB’ feels like a man in history did what we always do and went ‘Hey you know what these cool stories could do without? Women.’ And no-one’s done a popular enough take on it ever since.
These are things you’re going to want to build for yourself if you’re chronically ill. When you go out, you need to be prepared in case something goes wrong, to at least help yourself until professional help arrives or you can get to a safe space.
If you are a regular hospital visitor, you need to make an emergency overnight bag. You either grab it as the ambulance is arriving or you tell a loved one “I need X bag in X location” so that nobody has to scramble around for things and wasting time.
If I leave the house, this bag does not leave my side.
It is big enough to contain (aside from my keys, wallet, and phone)
First Aid kit (grey cosmetics bag)
Water
Umbrella
Deodorant
Wheelchair gloves
eReader
Emergency phone charger
That charger lives with you. It does not leave your bag. If you need help and your phone is dead, you’re probably not gonna be able to easily get to a working phone or remember numbers, or potentially know your location if you need to call an ambulance. Make sure your phone is charged.
Pack old clothes. Hospitals can be gross. I’ve bled all over mine, sweated etc. Not a fashion show. Old clothes you don’t mind getting ruined.
Things need to be loose. My jeans are jeggings (stretchy waist) because if I can’t wear normal pants from pain. You need things that allow doctors access (shirts easily moved for needles or what have you.)
Pack shoes for the shower (if you can shower.) Floors can be unsanitary and the last thing you want is a fungal infection.
Toiletries – tiny shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, toothbrush/toothpaste, baby wipes and hair treatment (if you can’t shower), moisturiser (cold hospital air dries out your skin), and lipbalm
Apps
ICE (In Case of Emergency) Card – lists your name, weight, height, emergency contacts, diseases, allergies, medication, and personal notes for paramedics. Can send out alarm calls or messages and is available on your home screen (if you want to set it up that way)
Medisafe – track your medication and set reminders. You can set it up to automatically text someone if you skip a dose.
FibroMapp – tracks chronic pain and sleep, and helps you illustrate pain levels, times, triggers, and relief
Emergency+ (Australian) – gives your exact location and surrounding streets to give to paramedics. You can call from this app.
First Aid (Australian) – gives you step by step instructions to help yourself or someone else
Even if you’re not disabled yourself, please rb this because it can genuinely help people who are
i’m moving in two weeks and have so much stuff to do and instead i wasted my entire evening making an expression mosaic of the biggest shitbaby in kingdom hearts
DarkestElemental616 