guy whos figuring shit out

20 - he/they

This became a whole ass educational post. There’s a nonexclusive list of things that do and do not disqualify you below the cut!

I’m so happy to hear you’d like to start donating! Blood donation is something so vital and that most of us will benefit from- 90% of us will require blood or a blood product in our lifetimes, yet only an estimated 3-5% of eligible donors give blood yearly It really is such a beautiful way to help your community! Any new experience, especially medical can be nerve wracking but donating blood shouldn't be too bad! First things first you will have to fill out some paperwork, the usual medical stuff, you will need to know any/all medication you take, they will ask about health conditions, then some extra questions to ensure they actually want your blood. Next you will be taken back to a little room to do some quick checks to ensure they still want your blood, they will take your pulse and blood pressure, temperature, then your blood sugar and hemoglobin with a finger stick. If you pass then congrats you’re eligible to donate blood! You’ll be taken to a bed/chair where they follow a process that feels similar to a regular blood draw with the tourniquet, sterilization, needle insertion, often they will have you squeeze a stress ball to encourage blood flow. They will take a little less than a pint of blood, you have 8-12 pints, this takes about ten minutes. Then the needle is removed you are patched up and sent to sit down and have a snack! Usually there’s cookies, chips, and juice in a little waiting area. Please listen when they tell you to eat your snack before leaving, drink plenty of water, and avoid intense activity for the first day or so after your donation, especially if this is your first time! Some are unbothered, some people can feel lightheaded or fatigued. Then you’re free to go! With registration and wait time and everything, you can estimate to be there 30 minutes to an hour. Here’s some general information on what does or does not disqualify you but it is not a compressive list. Check out American Red Cross or your local health authorities for more information. If you aren’t sure if you qualify call your local blood bank and ask! They may take your blood but they don’t bite!

Until 2023 the American Red Cross following the FDA’s guidelines did not allow men who have (ever) had sex with other men to donate blood. For far too long the research has shown that gay men posed no increased risk of transferring blood borne illness yet we were denied. When I first started donating blood some people would even tell you to lie when asked the question. Thankfully the regulations finally caught up to the evidence!

Common things that DO NOT disqualify you: Pescribed HRT, birth control, most medications (but you will be asked to what you take,) most chronic illnesses, diabetes, gay men!!

Common things that WILL disqualify you: New tattoo or piercing (last three months,) Recent unprescribed IV drug use (last three months,) low blood count/some bleeding conditions, blood borne infections, antibiotics taken for a recent infection.

Might disqualify you, might not: Recent vaccines, some medications/antibiotics, high or low blood pressure (must be within certain range,) heart murmur, certain illnesses.

— 🦮 (you may know my blog now but youll never guess my old blog 🤫🤫)

I have to examine you first to treat you, silly mutt. But yes, I will examine and treat your problem to the best of my ability before any experimentation for the betterment of medical knowledge. I would like you to check yourself in before you next turn, yes you will be staying inpatient for a few days. You say the effects of turning last multiple days so it’s reasonable for me to want to monitor the full extent of your switch and all the side effects. How often do you turn? Now, could you please further describe the ache and need you feel? It’s important that you describe your symptoms in detail. Tiredness is to be expected however the vertigo is concerning. The skin sensitivity, while not harmful can be an unwelcome side effect. Once I’ve had the chance to observe your turning and the aftermath I will be more equipped to offer some solutions.

I loved your ideas for “treatment” even if they mostly involved my torment😭 Bondage and even a shock collar are so deliciously sadistic for someone struggling with compulsions.

I came back to ask about what you would do for a patient struggling with groinal responses with OCD and ruminations/compulsions centered around that unwanted physical sensation? Would your treatment plan be any different?

- 🫧 (19, she/her female)

Often times from the patient’s point of view the line between torment and treatment is a very fine one.

There would be some changes to the treatment plan for a specific case like this. First off, we’d need to discuss what triggers the unwanted groinal response, I know it can be uncomfortable or distressing to talk about but it’s important I have all the facts before beginning your treatment. I would need to keep you in a position where we can easily monitor any groinal response, for male patients this is often easier, their reaction is more obvious to take naked eye. However for female patients there is a very handy specialized tool for measuring arousal called a vaginal photoplethysmograph, I know that’s a mouthful. We tend to say VPG, the same way we abbreviate electrocardiograph as ECG (or EKG depending on the Doctor.) this handy little tool is small device inverted into the vagina, it’s about the size of a tampon, after a couple moments to adjust you shouldn’t notice it much. The device uses light to measure the blood flow in the walls of the vagina. Now that we have a way to monitor signs of arousal we can begin treatment!

An important part of breaking the OCD cycle is sitting in the discomfort of not following through on the compulsion, weather that be to reach down and check for an erection, try to pleasure yourself or hide, whatever it may be you must be restricted from doing so. Hence the handy wrist restraints you’ll be fitted with. I can secure you in such a way that you can have limited mobility to read a book or perhaps draw, something to keep your mind occupied over the coming weeks, yet unable to reach your groin. Now that we have prevent the response we can begin with exposure therapy! We will begin slowly introducing the trigger, this can be through looking at pictures and videos of the situation that triggers such a response or through even more hands on exposure, all depending on the trigger. The goal here is to break the cycle of the Thought, to Groinal Reaction, to Compulsion.

I think that keeping you in this restrained state to begin is still a good plan, then advancing to being left unrestrained but having the negative stimuli of a small shock if you reach to do the compulsory reaction. I’m interested to see how a couple of weeks of treatment affects your condition.

Would you like to begin?