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We’re all just temporarily abled

blog.jim-nielsen.com

321–330 of 537 posts

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My fiance had intercranial hypertension. Which is a complex way of saying "we don't know the root cause of why your spinal fluid is causing so much pressure in your head that you want to take a ice pick and poke a hole in it!" which also decreases EVERYTHING due to brain pressure, so more tired, less ability to think, less sensitive to all senses, less emotional control (especially because you're in constant pain / f…

Hi, this was enlightening. I'm a dude who has IIH myself for now almost half a decade and I was at no point told this could reduce my cognitive abilities. I take Diamox just in case (to reduce the intracranial fluid). It was a heering experience to get this diagnosed. One day all of a sudden my head started hurting and didn't stop, for months. But I had no other symptoms so doctors didn't take me seriously and my neu…

> It makes me feel like I'm just not worthy for life because hey, if they can make it, why can't I?

Honestly though, nobody should have to earn a decent living, regardless of level of ability. They're alive, and not by choice, so they should be able to enjoy it. Meritocracy is just cruelty when extended to the conditions of one's life - we want those with the fewest intrinsic resources be made to suffer? I don't.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Got Tinnitus from working as a concert photographer. It's not so bad. I've learned to live with it. But yeah... It's permanent. So, to not make it worse, I've bought protection that I carry with me when I go to loud clubs or concerts. I use it religiously. Highly recommended! Especially if you work in a bar or club, or in some capacity at concerts. Do it now, because Tinnitus doesn't go away. Some of them are very di…

Is there any particular type or brand of earplugs you recommend, that are comfortable enough to wear for multiple hours and don't make the music sound too muffled (while still reducing the volume to safe levels)?

If you're in Europe, these are amazing: https://www.alpine.nl/products/partyplug

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#323

How many people I know got hit by a car and had their life ruined horribly. Or a bad surgery. Things totally out of their control. We need to see disability as a cost to society we must pay, not a failure of individuals which is more or less what were treating it. The American disability system is basically proving (very painfully) that life is barely livable to get scraps of help. Like below poverty levels. I really…

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Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#324

I became disabled after a music festival last year. The music was too loud and something broke in my ear. Now every sound hurts me, my voice is far too painful, going for a walk outside is too painful. Basically I can't do anything but sit in a silent room and browse the internet. Pain hyperacusis sucks. I wish I'd been more careful with my hearing.

Got Tinnitus from working as a concert photographer. It's not so bad. I've learned to live with it. But yeah... It's permanent. So, to not make it worse, I've bought protection that I carry with me when I go to loud clubs or concerts. I use it religiously. Highly recommended! Especially if you work in a bar or club, or in some capacity at concerts. Do it now, because Tinnitus doesn't go away. Some of them are very di…

Original comment was talking about Hyperacusis, and it sounds like for them it's way worse than Tinnitus, causing them physical pain just going outside for a walk. I have Tinnitus also and going outside is actually soothing for my ears, as the ambient noise of nature masks the ringing a bit.

Tinnitus does interfere with my ability to concentrate from time to time, though. Not great for a job where concentration is required most of the time.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#325
post #213
post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same. Somehow it never bothered me.

There are a ton of weak sounds I'd want to hear. A baby's (or toddler's) voice, the meowing of a newborn kitten, quieter sections of my favorite songs, the sound of a car that's backing my way while I'm not looking in its direction...

I don't care about that as much as never hearing silence, or near silence, without a constant ringing sound. Man do I miss the "sound" of silence.

And no, that one Tinnitus trick of thumping the back of your head with your fingers that everyone shares doesn't really work for that, at least not for me. For me it just turns the volume down on the ringing a slight bit, and even then only lasts about 30 seconds, which isn't really worth it.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#326

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Got Tinnitus from working as a concert photographer. It's not so bad. I've learned to live with it. But yeah... It's permanent. So, to not make it worse, I've bought protection that I carry with me when I go to loud clubs or concerts. I use it religiously. Highly recommended! Especially if you work in a bar or club, or in some capacity at concerts. Do it now, because Tinnitus doesn't go away. Some of them are very di…

Is there any particular type or brand of earplugs you recommend, that are comfortable enough to wear for multiple hours and don't make the music sound too muffled (while still reducing the volume to safe levels)?

I've heard Loop is very good from friends but I don't have any comparisons.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#327

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>perhaps it's just empathy Any system can be hacked, including empathy. We call it "fraud" and unfortunately it seems that the number of humans who can keep two concepts in their head at the same time are vanishingly rare. So you end up with a useless "empathy vs fraud" debate repeated endlessly, roughly corresponding to the left and the right, and it doesn't go anywhere. Of course, what we need is a synthesis. The l…

Unfortunately, "risk of fraud" is a cover for the belief that giving their money to people who haven't worked as hard as they have is theft. Many want to decide who deserves their money more than themselves. Being poor or disabled is effectively a character flaw.

Another example of the fundamental attribution error on the right. In the same way, many on the left believe that having money means that you've stolen it and don't deserve it. So it cuts both ways.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#328

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Private and well-compensated medical workers still don't offer a sci-fi "healing tubes". Private healthcare is maybe marginally better for 1% of the population, but far more expensive.

Of course there are diminishing returns, the world famous brain surgeon billing at $10k per operating room hour isn't going to deliver a 20x better outcome then the average brain surgeon billing at $500, or however much the ratio is. Yet some folks still choose to seek out the world famous brain surgeon when they desire that extra quantum of assurance and if they can afford it.

There are still expensive private clinics in all countries with public healthcare.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#329

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Got Tinnitus from working as a concert photographer. It's not so bad. I've learned to live with it. But yeah... It's permanent. So, to not make it worse, I've bought protection that I carry with me when I go to loud clubs or concerts. I use it religiously. Highly recommended! Especially if you work in a bar or club, or in some capacity at concerts. Do it now, because Tinnitus doesn't go away. Some of them are very di…

Is there any particular type or brand of earplugs you recommend, that are comfortable enough to wear for multiple hours and don't make the music sound too muffled (while still reducing the volume to safe levels)?

I got Loops on Amazon based on someone's recommendation and they work pretty well for me. They're cheap enough to try once and see if they work for you.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#330

How many people I know got hit by a car and had their life ruined horribly. Or a bad surgery. Things totally out of their control. We need to see disability as a cost to society we must pay, not a failure of individuals which is more or less what were treating it. The American disability system is basically proving (very painfully) that life is barely livable to get scraps of help. Like below poverty levels. I really…

Yup. I have a child with autism. The American system is cruel beyond imagination. To qualify them for social security and Medicaid I have to leave them impoverished. They can't have more than $2k worth of assets in their name. Instead it's a complex lawyer game of trusts to give my child any sort of inheritance. Yet they are basically guaranteed to end up in a group home (Even though I own my own home) because a care…

I feel like the biggest thing the US could do is remove means-testing from our disability aid programs. Means testing usually does not feel like an effective way to distribute services.

I want millionaires to be using government aid to help their children: just like with free education, when everyone who needs help uses it, the richer parents will demand, and ensure we pay for, higher quality for all. Everyone who is currently able to can all just pay a bit more in taxes to cover everyone’s accessibility and aid needs. I don’t want it to be possible for a child’s needs not to be met just because the state thinks the child’s family has too much money.

Aid services should be treated like sidewalks and fire departments: almost everyone is going to need them at some point, why would you want to make it difficult to access?

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