Why Is the Media Pitting Patients Against Each Other?

 A few months ago, I got a hot and bothered text from my anarchist extreme left sibling ranting about people taking Ozempic from diabetics. The injustice of it all was too much for them.

They'd seen an article.

An article.

Since then, that one article turned into dozens which has sparked all sorts of nasty commentary from the Greek Chorus that is social media.

No one will google. No one will shut up. No one will ask why am I jumping on the hate bandwagon? Or why the media is pitting patients against each other? Or where is the voice of authority that properly calibrates the narrative?

Hating on non diabetic users of Ozempic is a huge dopamine hit and nothing unites people like what they hate.

And everyone really hates fat people.

Never mind there are at least six other medications in the same class.

Never mind that Ozempic is new and expensive and likely not cheap compared to its peers. 

No one is dying for lack of Ozempic. Seriously. No one. They may have to wait a bit until they can get Ozempic, but they'll have medications they can use in the interim, likely at a lower cost than Ozempic to boot.

People are confusing the crisis around cost and accessibility of insulin with Ozempic having supply issues.

And then they hear people like Chelsea Handler dog it too. But, here's a headline for you, this is a person whose comedy act includes a bit about how she swallowed her yeast infection ovule like a pill. I don't know what vaginas out there reach the age of what? 50? and don't know how to take yeast medication, but apparently that makes you a medical savant when you're famous.

Why the media decided to weaponize the hate on this particular issue is beyond my ken. It serves no one but the stock market.

But yes, let Chelsea Handler be the medical expert. I mean, at least we're consistently stupid in the narratives we amplify.

Again, our ideal and actual culture are so far apart they may as well be in different dimensions. Again, how do we get back to center? Because if we don't, bad things will happen. Simple things like this go into the pot and simmer with everything else and the end product isn't good.

We are collectively having our pet hates weaponized, pushing us to choosing violence. That's my take on it, anyway.

Life update...

I'm still struggling with the post covid nerve and joint pain with a side of foot neuromas--taking lots of  NSAIDs--but I finally did get out into the garden to start preparing for spring proper. I was going to start a bunch of seeds, but I realized I'm going to be out of town and can't count on anyone to water them.

(I've paid people. Tried different people. Paid more. Asked family to do it. The reality is...no one waters the garden. They kill it. Every time.)

So starting seeds will have to wait until we're home. I'll just keep plugging away at clean up and organizing for now. Maybe clean out the one flower bed and sow the flower seeds...

The big question is whether or not we smothered the strawberries to death trying to protect them from -40 temps. Which I hope not, but...eesh I'm not so sure they're okay.

Shapewear for the wedding dresses has arrived. I realized a bit late that I need all new Spanx because everything's too big. Both dresses look great. Ahh. It's going to be hard to decide which one to wear!

Hair cuts are up next. I haven't been to a salon in over three years. I've been cutting my own hair all this time. I have hair that hides mistakes well so it's just been easier to DIY it, but I'm doing my best to spiff up for the wedding.

My energy is doing okay. I get tired faster, but my carrying capacity isn't as limited as it was with my first round of Covid. The biggest issue right now is the unrelenting 'painsomnia' from my joints and nerves. Yawn.

But the covid inflammation is going down. I think? My foot has been the main indicator. At its worst, it felt like I was walking on just the toe box of a flip-flop...there was a cliff near my arch where the swelling suddenly dropped off. It's gone down to more like half a thin sandal sole.

Maybe in another week the pain will mostly be gone?