Sign in

Belasco

@belasco.bsky.social
1.3K followers 787 following 5.6K posts

Queer disabled chronically ill nature-loving nerd trapped in Texas

PostsRepliesMedia
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 6h
Life with ME/cfs: Son: Valheim tonight? Me: We’ll see how I am after dinner. After dinner - Spouse to me: The last 24hrs have been a lot, & where I’ll support whatever you decide to do, it really isn’t capitulation to being ill to rest even when it’s not your only option. & so I’m still in bed
050
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 6h
Ooo, I know someone who will be really interested in this. Thanks for posting it!
010
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 6h
To the shock of absolutely no one (except maybe the allergist I saw yesterday,) my labs show I’m not allergic to things I knew I wasn’t allergic to & my tryptase was where it should be since I wasn’t mid-reaction. Thanks to my horrible BCBS exchange insurance the bill was “only” $400. 🤬 #neisVoid
110
Reposted by Belasco
Laura J Mixon @laurajmg.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
I'm a big believer in finding moments of joy in the now, and I have a lot to be thankful for. But ME/CFS is such a devastating disorder—not just for us sufferers, but also for our caregivers. And without more funding to find biomarkers, official treatments and a cure, our lives are pretty grim.
16514
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 9h
Wonderful thread, thank you! Here’s to all the people who get it, & all those who even bother to try! …& that’s all the energy I have at the minute 🫠
110
Reposted by Belasco
Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · 12h
Dogcatcher xkcd.com/3309/
Comic. [Three people seated at table.] PERSON 1 with ponytail: Once we break this story, he won’t be able to get elected *dogcatcher*. PERSON 2: Why do people always use “dogcatcher” as the example of a worthless office? Animal control officers are valued professionals. It just seems unnecessarily insulting. PERSON 3 with shoulder-length hair: Well, their job *is* catching strays.
313522513
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 12h
I’m pretty sure the company my spouse works for has a very relaxed corporate environment. Quotes from my spouse while he was in an internal company meeting today: Shit, dude! No, that’s fucking awesome. Goddamn, y’all! *laughing* that’s so fucking real, holy shit!
040
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 12h
It’s shaping up to be what-a-month 🙃 The good part being: I know it’s temporary &, in the scheme of things, it’s not all that bad.
110
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 13h
*When we lived in Ireland this was called The Fuck-off Price, & we got it a lot (Irish friends would get the real cost for us, fair play 😈) It’s when someone doesn’t need or want your business & picks a rate that they feel you won’t pay, but if you do they’re happy to part a fool from their money!
110
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 13h
Found out we MIGHT get the AC fixed faster if our landlord went w/an electrician who gave an estimate of $1700 for labor & $2k for parts on a job that shouldn’t take more than 1hr w/parts that cost $150*. We told her we’re good, we’ll survive until Sat when the guy charging a flat $750 can come out.
110
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
I’m 52 & in the same boat. I never got good grades, but I did get crazy-good scores on standardized tests - so I clearly wasn’t “applying” myself w/homework 🙄. My brother & dad were labeled neurodivergent early (not great for them, tbh), but I’m AFAB so no testing for me until I was in my late 30s!
000
Reposted by Belasco
Chronic Illness Humor @chronicillness.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
#satire
satirical news image featuring a photo of the Alamo historic landmark with a inset circular image of a woman holding her head in stressed confusion. 

"Devastating: Woman So Deep into Brain Fog That She Has Forgotten The Alamo". 

MyBodyIsTryingToKillMe.com
14613
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
ya know, the EpiPen I don't have that might try to kill me. She couldn't figure out how to order bloodwork for what I'm reacting to, so she ordered some for green peppers. I was struggling not to laugh! I'm looking forward to dishing w/my GP about it on Friday. That was just so amazingly clownshoes!
150
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Which isn't a thing, & I have no idea where she got that idea except those are the foods I react to. I tried to correct her, but she wasn't having it until Spouse pointed out that even if we did that it wouldn't explain the rash, blisters, or GI issues, & she said, "Oh, yeah... Just use the EpiPen."
150
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
from 1976, waved her hand at the screen dismissively, & told me in her opinion risking a major heart attack is worth taking an EpiPen. It did not instill confidence! Then she repeatedly told me I just had acid reflux from eating so much spicy food, tomatoes, black pepper, and vinegar all at once -
160
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Got up 3hrs early for an in-person apt w/an allergist 30mins away only to have her not know what Long Covid is. I was there to learn if it's safe to use an EpiPen w/my heart condition. She Googled my heart condition, looked very confused, muttered something about the study she was looking at being
170
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Some of the work-in-progress chaos in our dining room that overwhelmed me. For a lot of reasons, I have to personally look at all of it. Part of what’s extra stressing me out is it’s all piled on my mom’s antique dining room set that she let me use since we host all of the holidays.
A room full of various kinds of boxes that range from new to very old & rodent-chewed, multiple crystal decanters, serving dishes, & bags full of fabric & very old handmade quilts & blankets. Much of which is piled on a long sideboard & large dining table (which is covered by a bright, patterned tablecloth that adds to the visual chaos.) In the foreground there’s also a PC tower covered in stickers.
010
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
very old (probably 1940-50s) GE full size (for the time.) It’s sitting in my garage waiting for the day I can afford to have the electrics & coolant brought up to date.
110
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
I hate Amazon, but as a broke sick person, it was very hard to pass up an adorable little fridge that got great reviews on multiple sites & we were actively in the market for when it popped up for 65% off. Ooo, I should try to get a pic of the fridge it reminds me of! In the ranch move I scored a
110
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
My parents had gay friends & I grew up being taught love is love. But, when I came out I was still told I was confused, & my access to the community was cut off. My kids had a much better experience. Unfortunately, our wider society still feels weirdly threatened by ppl being simply themselves.
060
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
w/my spouse & our other son & direct going through more boxes from the big ranch move. I walked to our dining room, looked at the piles of boxes & chaos, & was quickly escorted back to bed - I only blacked out for less than a minute this time, thankfully, but now I’m stuck, being flat & annoyed.
030
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
It’s wild how little friction from life my body can take before it nopes out. It’s not just that I’m coming out of an me/cfs crash, though that’s definitely a factor. Today my son cut down a hackberry that was up against the house & it took out our ethernet cable along with it. So, I decided I’d sit
150
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
We upped our bedroom mini fridge game! I was worried it would be loud, but it’s shockingly quiet. Our last one wasn’t keeping things as cold as we needed them to be (I keep meds in it,) which tracks since it didn’t work like an actual fridge & wasn’t ever meant to be a daily use thing.
150
Reposted by Belasco
Chronic Illness Humor @chronicillness.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Soon as you think "my body would never do that" here it comes nevering like its never nevered before
07912
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Whelp, no AC for ??? days. Turned out we need to involve the power company. The cascade of issues from our AC going out has been awful, not long covid awful, but still really bad!
130
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
#neisVoid gotta maintain our standards! lmao
061
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
bad pain day, & days w/a lot of stress (good or bad.) It’s a failed BP med that’s used for PTSD-induced nightmares. If you’ve got a good dr it’s worth talking to them about what’s going on. There are differences between nightmares that make one scream & night terrors.
110
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
I glanced through your thread (I’m in a crash so I may have missed things) & I take my metoprolol (I have POTS, ME, & more!) at night to use its antianxiety properties to help w/nightmares. But, when I started LDN, it wasn’t enough w/the vivid dreams side effect so I also take Prazosin before bed on
110
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Post being a bit of an irresponsible jerk today the universe leaned into reminding me why pacing matters; after many other unexpected yet important things I finally got the call from the head of the Long Covid study near me! I passed the interview & will do the frightening in-person bit on the 26th.
040
Reposted by Belasco
Chronic Illness Humor @chronicillness.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I'm like an avocado in that I'm only good for a short period of time and unfortunately, there's no way to figure out when that is
316937
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Obviously, not a medical person But - I haven’t ever found one that I can wear for more than 15-30mins bc I end up w/1 of 2 fun issues: It either puts just enough pressure on my eustachian tubes to cause drainage & vertigo-like problems, or it puts pressure on C-6/7 which sucks differently
120
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Got my bloodwork back, & for once I’m elated it was all normal! Liver disease runs in my dad’s family, & my labs have been concerning for months. There was a good chance they were wonky bc of infections, but long covid made it hard to get tested when I didn’t have an ear/sinus infection until today💪
060
Reposted by Belasco
Chronic Illness Humor @chronicillness.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Chronic illness is like:
This is exactly what it feels like to have chronic illness

1st panel: guy climbing mountain 'come on'
2nd panel: guy still climbing 'just a little bit more'
3rd panel: guy almost at peak 'almost there'
4th panel: guy looks over peak and sees that it goes down a little bit and then there is a whole new mountain to climb 'oh crap...'
1038862
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
see him & he didn’t see me there or on the way back.) In my extremely lame defense, that clinic has turned me away for being less than 5mins late for the check in time before. All’s well now, but, um, yeah…not my finest moment & I know my body’s going to make me pay for it.
140
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Thankfully, I have a car that essentially drives itself (though, I was okay - fully sustained by anger) & it was less than 5mins away. But it did scare the hell out of my entire family & when I got home I learned my spouse had literally gone running after me & walked all way to the clinic (I didn’t
130
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Soooooo I’m inherently a very stubborn person, which is handy for living with chronic illnesses that require self-advocacy, but less helpful when mixed w/frustration. I had to get bloodwork today, spouse got dragged into an emergency meeting at work & was running (4mins) late, so I left by myself.
140
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
For me, one of the many obnoxiously hypocritical parts of being in an ME/cfs crash is having a desperately exhausted body that absolutely will not sleep. I even took an ambien last night, & eventually managed something sleep adjacent for a few hrs. Love that I have to go get bloodwork done today 🫩
050
Reposted by Belasco
Tom Kindlon @tomkindlon.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
From the popular Diploma Duck account on IG, FB and probably elsewhere “ME/CFS (explained by ducks)” (58 seconds) #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #MEcfs #CFS #PwME #PEM
34119
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
There are a few things that like to do skin flushing, minor rashes, &, what used to be a fun party trick for me, dermotographia - MCAS being one of ‘em - which I blew off for years until I got Long Covid & it got too obnoxious to ignore. Weird immune stuff seems to be part of the post-C19 package 🙃
010
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
for a long time. It did take me ages to be patient enough w/myself to get good at pacing. Hang in there! I really don’t think getting worse is inevitable, & I do think it’s possible to have a better baseline - & though I also don’t think either are fully in our control it’s still not all bad news.
000
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I was Dx’d with fibro first, a yr later I got the ME Dx. I honestly don’t really know where one ends & the other begins, but that’s probably bc I’ve had both since I was a teen (I’m now an old.) For me, having a good dr I can work with, & finding the edge of my energy envelope helped me to be stable
100
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
When I was mild I was helping raise 3 kids, have a successful marriage, & run a house - it was a huge amount of work & meant I couldn’t “work outside of the home.” I’ve never stopped being pissed that bc we chose not to run my body into the ground we were dirt poor & I won’t have social security.
110
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
if I hadn’t gotten long covid I would’ve been able to maintain having mild ME. I’d been at it for so long, though so much, & was so attuned to my limitations I just don’t see having it change without covid yanking the rug out from under my life.
110
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Sort of? I was mostly mild for 18yrs (probably longer, but I’m measuring from diagnosis.) I had a few moderate periods in there, 1 of which lasted 2yrs, kinda early on. I could even do mild, careful exercise w/out PEM. Then I got long covid & everything rapidly went to hell. But, I’m certain that
110
Reposted by Belasco
Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · 07/10/2026
Spectrum Allocation xkcd.com/3307/
Comic: Modern Spectrum Allocation Chart. [Long line of rectangles of different widths in shades of gray. From top to bottom: radio (shouting), TV test patterns, 1G cellular, radio (music), radio (static), reserved for zeppelin navigation, TV channels 2, 5, 7-13, 16, 17, and 28 with 2G cellular in between, interference, WKRP in Cincinnati, spaceship beeps, all other TV, car dealership ads, numbers stations, weather balloons, amateur radio, HAM radio, “weather balloons”, *Choosing Texas* 24/7, [extra large rectangle] boat captains say they need this for something and we don’t ask what because they’re scary, the secret radio waves that make planes stay up, defunct satellite phone company, radioastronomy, radioastrology, [extra small rectangle] all modern wireless infrastructure, death rays, LoFi hip hop beats to relax/study to, security guard walkie talkies, amateur military satellites, left open in case aliens try to call, one brand of garage door openers with a lot of political pull.]
663454611
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Yeah, I’m pretty darn happy he’s on the planet & that our sons really look up to him! 😊
020
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
impressed & now he’s their go-to when female employees want backup or away from a client. I love that this has come about bc the women he works w/trust him, know he respects them, & know he’ll stay in his lane.
140
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
gross. So gross in some cases the company spouse works for has fired clients. At some point last year grossness happened to a fem co-worker while spouse was in the call & after checking in w/her in their slack he shut that shit down in the most viciously corpo way possible. His coworker was
130
Belasco @belasco.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Every now & again I get confirmation that my spouse is as cool as I think he is. Recently, he started taking client accounts over from his female colleagues, which I raised an eyebrow about. Turns out, the mostly Argentinian women asked him to bc they were working w/US corps where the men were being
140
Reposted by Belasco
E.M. Anderson | author & schism enthusiast too hot for Bluesky @elizmanderson.com · 07/10/2026
my queer cozy horror THE LORD OF THE WOOD is part of Target's B2G1 FREE sale through October 10, 2026, just FYI in case you've been thinking of getting it but haven't yet aesthetic by my friend Em! trope map with additions from @vriccithode.bsky.social link: www.target.com/p/the-lord-o...
an aesthetic by (at) Library(underscore)Em, with E.M. Anderson's The Lord of the Wood surrounded by images of orange autumn trees, a watch opened up to show the gears, a black cat sitting in autumn leaves, a wintry wood, a stag with greenery curling over his antlers, autumn flowers, and open books.A trope map for E.M. Anderson's The Lord of the Wood with additions by their friend Ness. Text reads: secret lesbians; plant magic; sentient forest trying to oops! murder people; there's only one bed; intensely homoerotic shaving scene; the one who heard the stories and the one who was in the stories; knife lesbian; wound tending; long COVID rep; LI turning slowly into a beast; dual-POV brother and sister; Beauty & the Beast-inspired but not a retelling; forced proximity times two; hopeless romantic who's clueless about his own sexuality. Text and book cover  are against a dark blue background with gold leaves at the top.
0123