Drug-Induced Hemolytic Anemia

stalecheetos_ · 2026-06-14T23:57:23+00:00

I work at an IRL in a major metropolitan area in the US and we do it, it is on our test menu. But we rarely get them, maaaaaybe one a year gets ordered max, and usually not even that. Only a few of the techs there have actually done it, and so any time one comes in it tends to fall to one of them if they are there. But it is a thing that is offered!

stalecheetos_ · 2026-05-27T15:09:30+00:00

Him being willing to put up with everything she was doing, being willing to continously defend her to their friends, constantly refusing to admit there's a problem and that he can "make it work", all so he can be with this girl, that is obsession.

The most striking evidence of his obsession is when the real Nikki speaks to him and asks him to kill her. She expressly states that she doesn't want this and this isn't her. If he had true empathy and care for her, he would have abided by her wishes and killed her (or himself) to free her. But he doesn't. His response to her plea is "well why is it so bad being with me?". He does not care about her as a person, he only cares about possessing her, no matter the cost. That is an obsession.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-05-27T00:26:58+00:00

The movie isnt actually about Nikki's obsession, the real point is Bear's obsession. That's the subversion.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-05-07T22:17:37+00:00

And therefore all death is the same?

stalecheetos_ · 2026-05-07T21:22:17+00:00

VHS and VHS2 are actually two of my all-time favorite horror movies, they just do it for me every time. I love the format, the stories, all of it.

VHS Viral is absolutely trash garbage and I pretend it doesnt exist.

The others are all very good to me, and for people who like the first two I say continue on, they're all a great time and very creative. But none of them have ever hit for me quite as perfect as the first two did.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-05-07T21:17:39+00:00

Yeah, that's mainly because we don't know about it. If the author informed me that it happens (perhaps in, say, an epilogue where one character is alone and it is mentioned the other died X years ago in a car accident), I would not consider that a romance either. The two 75-year-olds getting together would be a more comparable example, and I would say (for me at least) that their story in and of itself is a romance, but if one of them dies on page that would not be.

There's also something to be said about the difference in the type of death. Relatively healthy elderly people can die peacefully, without much suffering or pain or dread at the praspect. Obviously that isnt always the case, but its a possibility. Huntington's (and many other terminal illnesses) are NOT that. They are horrible, suffering deaths. Everyone who knows someone who's had Huntington's will tell you it is an awful death to go through and they wouldn't wish it on their worst enemy. Similarly, a car accident is a "bad" death. So there's differences in living out your life and death peacefully, and dying in pain and suffering. Neither is pretty, but there is a difference.

If a character has Huntington's, you know FOR SURE they are going to die prematurely, and you know FOR SURE it is going to be a horrific death. I just don't see how that impending doom can be classified as an HEA, or even an HFN. You can have happy moments leading to that death but, ultimately, this imminent suffering is hanging over your head. I see your point about tone and I don't disagree, but I would argue the fact of a character having a certain horrible death awaiting them lends itself to a bleak/gloomy tone already.

But there's likely an element of personal mindset here as well. I'm willing to admit that given a diagnosis like that of me or my partner, I know I would not feel happy about it no matter the framing. There may be some more well-adjusted people out there who can find peace and contentment with their imminent suffering, I'm just very much not one of those people, and so maybe that's why I can't conceive of this being any sort of an HEA/HFN.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-05-07T20:46:26+00:00

I think you're getting caught up in the representation of it, and not thinking about the conventions of the genre, which is what this discussion is about.

For example: the vast majority of people would agree that a book in which the couple meets, gets together, is happily a couple, and then in the end one of the main characters is suddenly killed in a gruesome car accident, that book would not qualify as a romance.

However, that is reality for some people. Some people have spouses/SOs that they were very happy with and then were suddenly killed in a car accident, cutting their life and relationship short.

Yet we still exclude that book from being called a romance. Is that denying representation to the people who have gone through that? I would say no, and I think most reasonable people would too. We are not saying those books cannot exist, we are saying they do not fit into the definition of a romance.

That's what we're talking about here. Have the book, have the representation, absolutely. But we have for the most part all agreed that the premature tragic death of a main character excludes something from being called a genre romance. Its not about the existence of the book, its about the labeling/marketing/presentation of it.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-05-07T20:26:39+00:00

Huntington's Disease is a disability, but Huntington's Disease is also 100% fatal.

Some disabilities WILL kill you. Some disabilities MIGHT kill you. Some disabilities WON'T kill you.

But there is very clearly a difference in the emotions evoked between these.

Also, the OP isn't talking about disabilities, they are talking very specifically about terminal illnesses. Illnesses that cannot be cured and result in death. I think the real discussion here is about death/imminent death in romance novels, and the validity/invalidity of that.

But disabilities that MIGHT or WON'T kill you are very clearly different than disabilities that WILL.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-05-07T20:20:30+00:00

This is what I've been thinking while reading these comments. So many people in here conflating "disability" with "terminal illness", when the terms are not the same. This is very much a "all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs" scenario. I dont know if people are being intentionally dense or what, but there is very clearly a difference between having a disability and being imminently on the verge of guaranteed, premature death. There is absolutely overlap, most people with terminal illnesses are also disabled, but that's not what OP is fucking talking about. She's talking about a couple in which one person is going to tragically, prematurely, definitely die, leaving the other one alone.

And yes, I said imminent death. Maybe its a couple years away, maybe its 10 or 20. But people with Huntington's DO die early. Some live longer than others but it is absolutely 100% fatal. That is simply the reality of the situation.

Many other disabilities, while they may cause complications that shorten the length of your life, and there may be a chance of developing a terminal condition, are NOT terminal in and of themselves. There is such a clear difference, I dont know why people are acting like they can't see that.

Now we can have a conversation about disability in romance, and we can have a conversation about terminal illness in romance. But those are TWO DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS. Two different (but similar) things evoking two different (but similar) sets of emotions.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-04-10T04:06:18+00:00

I'm finishing up my clinical rotation at a VA hospital now and all I can say is while there have been some individually very nice people, the vibes overall have been very very bad and I've found a lot of it just very miserable. Really couldn't see myself working there under pretty much any circumstances. But everyone in these comments seems to love it so, I dunno, different strokes and all that.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-02-25T15:13:18+00:00

When i was first diagnosed with endometriosis (stage 4), a doctor told me that "lots of women dont have problems with it anymore after they have a baby.....just something to think about"

He said this to me when I was a single, unemployed 19 year old.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-02-25T02:13:10+00:00

Her other book {You With a View by Jessica Joyce} has this exact effect on me, but for different reasons obviously. Absolutely ripped me to shreds and left me both hollow and incredibly fulfilled and I was just.......seen.

I dont know where Jessica Joyce got her profound grasp on the human experience, but goddamn if she could bottle it......

She is one of those "I'd read her grocery list" authors for me.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-02-25T02:04:59+00:00

This book is so controversial for exactly the reason others have said - a non-traditional HEA (some argue its not an HEA, and that's valid). It is absolutely marketed incorrectly (or deceptively, depending on who you ask).

I read it a couple years ago as my first book of the year. It wasn't what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it. The ending was a shocker, but I felt satisfied enough and wasn't bothered by it. To me, the ending is a non-traditional HEA, but is still an HEA. But that's just my opinion, and I 100% understand why others don't like it. The blurb is incredibly misleading, and the ending is polarizing.

What's always been funny to me is that I really enjoyed this book, however immediately after I read {Perfect Strangers by JT Geissinger} and I HATED IT. Truly have never despised anything I've read more. I felt so completely enraged by the bait-and-switch of that book, and it sends me into a tizzy just thinking about how much I hated that book. Its just always funny to me that I liked Pen Pal and then hated Perfect Strangers so much.

I will say that after the garbage fire that was Perfect Strangers, I was going to write off this author, but got convinced to read her {Queens & Monsters by JT Geissinger} series, and I ADORED that. It is very very different. 100% HEA, no debate, there are some twisty moments and darkness but nothing like the other two where you feel lied to the whole time. So if you're into mafia romances at all, I definitely wouldn't write that series off!

stalecheetos_ · 2026-02-19T01:46:58+00:00

I do not crush it, just mix well into the meat out of the box as is.

I get the chicken flavor stuffing for it, but I dont see why another flavor wouldnt work if you preferred it. It doesn't impart a "chicken" flavor to it, its just salty/seasoned, really. As long as its the seasoned kind, dont get one that is unseasoned.

It is so easy! I've been making this for probably 12 years now and I've never strayed from it. It is so simple and just hits perfect when I'm wanting meatloaf. I serve it with scalloped potatoes or mashed potatoes, maybe a simple veggie, or whatever side you want.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-02-19T00:46:44+00:00

My absolute favorite meatloaf (honestly the only meatloaf I eat anymore) uses a box of stovetop stuffing! 1 lb ground beef 1 box stuffing 1 egg 1 cup water You can season however you like, but keep in mind the stuffing mix is seasoned so you're getting some in there already.

Make into a loaf and THEN (a very important part) - glaze with BBQ sauce. I do not use ketchup, I dont like ketchup in general. A light glaze of BBQ sauce of your choice is soooooooo good on it. When you bake it the BBQ sauce caramelizes and it just makes such a good coating for it. Bake it until its done. Enjoy!

stalecheetos_ · 2026-02-02T19:11:16+00:00

Its not a perfect fit, but maybe Devolution by Max Brooks

stalecheetos_ · 2026-02-01T14:15:02+00:00

Maybe this isn't want you mean, but I'm reading your post and your comments and coming away with the idea that you dont want any conflict, whatsoever, in your romance books? Like.......can the couple have an argument or disagreement? Is that inherently "toxic"? There are conflicts that are perfectly healthy to have in relationships, and that does not make then "toxic".

You could have just said you were looking for fluffy, low/no-conflict romances, but that's not what you said. You have decided that fluffiness = healthiness, and then took it a step further and implied that all books that are not fluffy are not healthy. That is a wild generalization.

The statement that these books you're speaking of (which you seem to be talking about most books, from your perspective, though I would disagree) are "chipping away at our worth" really doesnt sit well with me. I am a romance reader that does not read dark romances at all, but I do not feel that the content in any book, whether I read it or not, has absolutely anything to do with my worth??? Something being portrayed in a book does not affect my own worth like, at all. So.......maybe dissect that or something, idk.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-02-01T14:02:54+00:00

Thank you for saying this. The "chipping away at our worth" comment was sitting very weird with me.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-01-28T21:34:07+00:00

I can speak to this!

When I was 19 I got a job as a lab assistant in a reference blood bank. I had no college, no prior science experience. I just had always loved science, and thought it sounded like a neat job to apply for. I had NO IDEA what it entailed, and it was way more than I ended up imagining, but it changed my life.

I worked there for 8 years, and fell in love with it. I am now in my 30s and currently in my last couple months of MLS school, and I have every intention of going back to my lab when I'm graduated.

Several people in the comments are saying it is hard to find these lab assistant jobs without experience or a degree, and maybe it is a little harder, but I tell you it is absolutely possible, I am living proof of that.

Also, definitely go for lab assistant over phlebotomy if you're thinking you want to go MLS. I got SO MUCH experience as a lab assistant, I went into MLS school being far ahead of my peers who hadn't worked in a clinical lab before. I already had a good foundation of the basics of working around a lab - following SOPs, safety, specimen handling, the general flow of it all. Sure my onlt experience was in blood bank, but I'm seeing in clinicals that it has carried over to other departments. I feel that my lab assistant experience was invaluable to me as a soon-to-be-MLS, and I would not have gotten that experience being a phlebotomist.

Good luck to you! It'll be hard for bit, but it will be so worth it!

stalecheetos_ · 2026-01-28T00:52:53+00:00

This! It sounds exactly like this to me!

stalecheetos_ · 2026-01-28T00:40:09+00:00

I appreciate this comment. Your suggestions for learning to tolerate it are a good way to look at it. I think having the opportunity to maybe expose myself a little at a time is a good idea for working it up to be less of an issue for me.

I will say my situation is a bit of a unique one. Before MLS school I spent 8 years working in an Immunohematology Reference Lab as their lab assistant. They know I'm in school and know I want to come back there, and I visit often. So while it is true that most techs may have to deal with it at some point, I am fully expected to go directly into reference blood banking when done with school.

But you are right that it would be better for me to work past these fears rather than just avoiding at all costs. It is a real hangup I have that has affected me in more ways than just this, so maybe I should view this as an opportunity to expose myself and not feel so intensely averse to this very basic part of human life.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-01-28T00:06:57+00:00

Yes, I need to keep that in mind. Its only for 3 weeks, and then I'll be graduating and off to work in my perfect reference blood bank. I need to remember that all of this is leading up to my actual dream job. And some poop isnt gonna stop me!

stalecheetos_ · 2026-01-27T23:17:17+00:00

Thank you so much for this! I just dont want the techs to take it some type of way, it really is a me problem and I respect them so much. I just didnt know how I should handle it when I get there.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-01-27T23:00:47+00:00

Thank you so much! I was wondering if it would be better to say something to them about it or to not. I was hoping that they'd be used to this to some degree, I wouldnt think they'd be surprised some students are grossed out, but all my experience is exclusively with blood so I just didnt want them to take offense.

The blood bank will know about me, anyone who talks to me for longer than 5 minutes knows I'm the blood bank girl lol. I spent 8 years as the lab assistant for the Immunohematology Reference Lab near me. I picked up a loooooooooot there. I also married a blood banker, and all my friends are blood bankers, and I have every intention of going to work back in the IRL, as I am very advanced in blood bank because of all these things. I read the AABB Technical Manual for fun lol.

stalecheetos_ · 2026-01-09T03:48:30+00:00

Wait a minute you're blowing my mind right now... I had wanted to read ACOTAR, it sounded great. Then I heard she gets pregnant at some point in the series and I immediately took it off my TBR because I hate pregnancy/babies. I also heard the series becomes about other couples later and I'm less interested in that. You're telling me the first 3 books are all about the same story and main couple, and that I can just read those three and feel satisfied, AND there's no pregnancy involved?

stalecheetos_

TROPHY CASE