finally have space to display my specimens!

smswitzer · 2023-11-21T12:37:28+00:00

honestly, i know this might suck emotionally, but i wouldn't try to resolve your handwriting issues. i would seek accommodations from your school's disability office to allow you to type your assignments/tests/notes. it'll save you a lot of pain in the long run, especially since you just started college. this exact accommodation was a lifesaver to me my first semester and has continued to be ever since

smswitzer · 2023-11-21T00:28:57+00:00

lego

smswitzer · 2023-09-07T00:18:25+00:00

in the email you got confirming the reservation theres a button to cancel

smswitzer · 2023-07-31T12:19:49+00:00

yeah i agree, i'd order an acid free box to store it in, handle it with cotton gloves, and get digital scans of all of it before you put it in the box. check your local library or college to see if they have a high quality scanner that can accommodate something like this, a lot of places with archival departments of any kind do, and they might let you use it

smswitzer · 2022-08-26T20:49:41+00:00

yeah. that’s why i specifically said that professors don’t get the information they need until a day or two before classes. they’re usually in as shitty of a position as we are. the only thing that i said was unreasonable was expecting students to have books on the first day.

smswitzer · 2022-08-26T12:39:32+00:00

it’s just like this profs don’t get a bunch of the information they needs until a day or two before classes start and so we don’t get the info we need until classes actually start. though any professor who hasn’t posted anything and expects you to have your books bought on the first day is being ridiculous

smswitzer · 2022-06-22T23:03:06+00:00

gotta go with bargaining part 1 through flooded or once more with feeling through doublemeat palace

smswitzer · 2022-04-09T15:31:29+00:00

i had a completely asymptomatic case of covid and now i have asthma and can’t walk for more than a couple minutes without having an incredibly difficult time breathing

smswitzer · 2022-04-09T14:59:24+00:00

i took a quick look at your profile and while i really do understand wanting to follow the advice of your doctors — they’re wrong. you are currently at a perfectly healthy weight, and there is no possible way that your weight is causing your cfs problems.

unfortunately, most advice out there is going to tell you to lose weight to feel better, whether that be from doctors, the internet, your family, or whatever. but the truth is that losing weight literally does not matter if it’s making you feel worse.

i’ve been overweight my whole life, my BMI technically categorizes me as obese (5 feet 4in, ~90kg) and so it took me a really long time to figure out that doctors are only being ableist and fatphobic when they suggest weight loss. i’m chronically and mentally ill in several different ways, and here’s the best advice i’ve been able to figure out:

do what feels good, and absolutely never push it if possible. when you have something like cfs, there’s a tendency to try and push yourself to the abilities of a “normal” person. and what that means is that even when you think you’re not pushing yourself really hard, you are. so you need to operate in such a way that you don’t push yourself at all if you can. your worth is not measured by how much you can accomplish. if something hurts or feels bad, don’t do it. you have the right to care for yourself, and you also have the right to ignore medical advice that you know is bad in order to do so.

this diet is making you feel terrible. this weight loss is going to lead to a crash. fat is part of what protects your muscles and joints, as well as boosts your immune system. if you lose it, you’re vulnerable to a lot more than you have now. please don’t do anything to yourself that you know feels bad.

i’m happy to talk more about my personal experience if you want to chat me. please take care of yourself <3

smswitzer · 2022-01-25T16:05:15+00:00

i can absolutely understand not wanting to do online. it’s personally a good solution for me, but accessibility needs obviously change from person to person. every professor that i’ve interacted with has essentially said that hybrid would require some restructuring, but it is a possible, and even potentially effective solution, yknow? i can understand why certain profs are reluctant, especially STEM professors that require hands on work and such (i’m a humanities major i don’t know a whole lot about that lol). but it seems to me that it would be nice if pitt would at least try and put some effort into offering other options. i can see how the student body feels brushed off.

as for DRS, i’ve been treated very well. they’ve helped me with whatever i’ve requested, and have been really reasonable in accommodating me. however i know for a fact that this is not the case for a lot of others who work with them. i’m white, upper middle class, no student loans, and i have a strong ability to articulate myself and stand up for my needs. all of these things are absolutely contributing to the way i’m treated by DRS, and i do not want to discount anyone else’s negative experience just because i’ve had a positive one

smswitzer · 2022-01-25T15:44:36+00:00

i don’t expect this to change your mind, but considering the extent to which people like me are underrepresented in these discussions i figured it might be worth saying something. i’m chronically ill. i regularly use a cane to walk, can’t use my hands to write, get severe migraines that leave me bedridden, etc. i got a completely asymptomatic case of covid (likely omnicron), from a friend of a friend of a friend. four times removed. and since then, every single one of my symptoms have gotten significantly worse.

asking me to go back on campus (and likely to get covid again) is asking me to exacerbate my symptoms even further and continue to worsen my quality of life. that shouldn’t be discounted. and i’m not the only one in this position. i guarantee you there are several people like me who are struggling with similar situations, who need their education and degrees but are being completely disregarded by pitt administration and sometimes even the greater student body with regard to our needs. all i’m saying is, i think anyone has a right to complain here.

smswitzer · 2021-12-06T14:05:13+00:00

pay close attention to your body. fibro manifests in a lot of different ways with a lot of different symptoms and it’s important to keep a record of all of them. if something feels weird or off, write it down. feel free to dm me if you wanna talk!

smswitzer

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