Becca (Lavender) Thomas

Image description: a design depicting three gold bullets outlined in black flying through the air from right to the left. They are vertically stacked on top of one another. The top bullet says deny in bold italic letters, the middle says defend and the last days depose, in reference to the recent assassination of Brian Thompson, CEO of United Healthcare. There are little puffs of smoke trailing behind the bullets and red orange explosions behind them. The back ground is light blue. Bold black letters above and below the design say universal healthcare now

The care and sympathy requested have been denied. Upon review it has been determined that the services requested go against the collective good. To appeal this decision abolish health insurance and implement #UniversalHealthcare now
💥💨

Image description: a design depicting three gold bullets outlined in black flying through the air from right to the left. They are vertically stacked on top of one another. The top bullet says deny in bold italic letters, the middle says defend and the last days depose, in reference to the recent assassination of Brian Thompson, CEO of United Healthcare. There are little puffs of smoke trailing behind the bullets and red orange explosions behind them. The back ground is light blue. Bold black letters above and below the design say universal healthcare now

The care and sympathy requested have been denied. Upon review it has been determined that the services requested go against the collective good. To appeal this decision abolish health insurance and implement #UniversalHealthcare now
💥💨

YouTube video by Broken Battery ME/CFS Scandal Explainer (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)

This is what has happened to us.
This is what has been done to us.
You probably know someone here.
Someone with #MECFS.
If we’re angry.
If we’re sad.
It’s because this has happened to us.
Please watch this video.
Please tell everyone.
This is what happened💔
youtu.be/RiwX9Y0NbiQ?...

🔗 below to sign the letter asking for an apology & retraction of this comment
I do feel that given his incredibly ill informed harmful comment he's not suitable for the role of Chairman of the @MEAssociation & he should step down
There's too much at stake for #pwME
docs.google.com/document/d/1...

I think anything less than a full published apology along with his resignation is minimizing the negative impact and betrayal this caused

Ugh I read it over on X and was appalled. Just signed! I also think he should resign over this. It’s incredibly dangerous when so many people, especially those newly sick or undiagnosed, are pushing themselves into decline as we speak

replies felt weirdly discouraged on twitter (at least to me) but I really recommend getting back into the habit of telling artists directly when you like their stuff. not even in an engagement farming way, it just feels nice. nobody's day is going to be worse hearing that you like their work

I don’t know that anybody will be reading this but that’s me! If you feel like we could connect on these topics I’d love follow you back

I recently released my first album after 5 years of writing and playing music alone at home. It’s called Depressed In the Sun and is released under my project name Boundless Blue. Reconnecting to music and playing piano has been a huge inner child healing moment for me

Things I talk about will range from any of my special interests, to disability, to ME advocacy, and just generally venting about my life. I started a podcast with my best friend who has severe ME following COVID called From The Sickbed.

I have a cat named Kiki and live with my partner Yuto, who is also my caregiver. I still make art when I can. I do my little activities at home that I’m very lucky to still be able to do at all. I like to bake when energy permits and have many plants 🌱 I get outside sparingly

I have no background in science but I use my skills and training for researching from grad school to study my illnesses, and advocate for myself and others. I work in a limited part time capacity from home now as a peer supporter offering support related to my lived experiences

Now my ME is moderate, and I’ve been a wheelchair user for 3 years. My politics are far left and align with Disability Justice more than anything else. Still COVID-ing for my survival, always critiquing white supremacy, and trying to lean more into praxis than theory (though I do love some theory)

It was four years after onset until I was diagnosed with ME. After that followed diagnoses of POTS, Migraine, Endometriosis, Chiari Malformation, and hEDS. Some of these I’d had all my life. I was relatively “healthy” in the before times but there were signs I was disabled all along from childhood

I spent two weeks teaching an intensive summer class for high schoolers for college credit. Two weeks commuting downtown every day and teaching hours a day. I was still in denial but I was barely making it out of bed to teach. After that course (and grad school) ended I never recovered my baseline

I went to school hoping and wishing I could become an art professor teaching undergrad in addition to pursuing my art career. Immediately after graduating I reluctantly realized I had to give up that dream. I taught a class the summer after finishing school that obliterated me.

Grad school was very difficult, and initiated a lot of awakenings. I realized I was autistic and got diagnosed. The autistic burnout I experienced was a huge accelerant for my first big health decline after graduating

It’s been over 7 years since the “Big Sick” which was the onset of my post viral ME/CFS (2017) I got Mono a month before my move to Chicago for grad school to get my Masters in Fiber Arts. When I first got sick I was “mild” and could still attend school

A selfie of Lavender, a white fem person with long copper hair, gold rimmed glasses and a light purple neck ruff in a white dress wearing a 3M aura N95 and making eye contact with the camera

I’m Lavender, a queer Crip degenerate and suspected bog hag displaced to the city life. I make music and have dedicated my life to art, and always strive to orient myself around Disability Justice (an intro thread)

I fear that so many chronically ill people will fall for RFK Jr. rhetoric on chronic illness because they're so desperate to get better. But RFK Jr. is not trustworthy when it comes to chronic disease research. I write this as someone who is chronically ill.

This is my experience too. Doctors don’t have to be experts to be helpful and even effective physicians. A willingness to be open minded and listen goes a long way

I found a decent neurologist who isn’t especially knowledgeable about ME but he found and monitors my chiari malformation, never disparages or minimizes my symptoms, and is helpful with meds & referrals. Before him I have plenty of neuro horror stories though

FELLOW LEFTISTS, fascism attacks disabled/vulnerable people first.

Abandoning them in a pandemic because political interests told you to, was a mistake!

Correct course!

The thing with clinicians working with patients on “pacing” programs is they may turn into “pacing up” if you’re not disciplined about it. It shouldn’t turn into graded activity by another name. A clear understanding and expectation of the program is required for both the patient and the clinician.

Ahh that was so frustrating wasn’t it? Now she’s dirty deleted everything and probably won’t learn anything but I’m glad we stuck up for ourselves ❤️‍🩹

Tentatively peaking my head out over here! I’m @2dreamornot2 on the other text app and same username on the others

For those who don’t know me I’m Lavender, angry queer Crip and multiple chronic illness haver. Wheelchair user of 3 years!
I rant online as a hobby. I’m also an artist and musician