@bev_fishman’s bold, polychromatic wall works meditate on the many parallels that can be drawn between #pharmaceuticals and art. Like taking a pill, an experience with art is often brief yet has the ability to induce a response that runs deep within in one’s being. Fishman’s vivid #geometric reliefs may not take on the overt physical appearance of #pills, but are representative of how pharmaceutical companies utilize #aesthetic appeal in their products to offer the promise of a better reality. Each optically alluring and carefully crafted shape stacked within her compositions is assigned an ailment denoted by the title of the work. With all of the chaos surrounding the Covid #vaccine and health care concerns rampant as a result of the pandemic, Fishman’s slick, subtle sculptural paintings provide a moment of relief, drug-free. Beverly Fishman (, ), 2020 Urethane paint on wood 78 x 44 in (198.1 x 111.8 cm) ___ #BeverlyFishman #pharma #bigpharma #narcolepsy #epilepsy #minimalism #contemporary_art #installationartwork #abstractartwork #abstraction #palmbeachart #geometricabstraction #opticalart #concretism #conceptualart #minimalistart #wallsculpture #sculpturalpainting #womeninart #femaleartists #artsculpture #womeninthearts #workingartist #womenartists #nationalacademicians (at Palm Beach, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKmeL7pFLbm/?igshid=16ecz4rrnjhhv
a lot of people think narcolepsy is just ‘being sleepy’ or even ‘being lazy’ but it’s so much more than that. symptoms of narcolepsy include:
extremely intense, vivid dreams/nightmares. narcolepsy is defined as a disorder in which most of, if not all of your sleep is REM sleep. this is what causes daytime sleepiness; your body is NOT RESTING CORRECTLY and is physically incapable of doing so. we have little, if any deep sleep.
sleep paralysis and hallucinations.
cataplexy, found in type 1 narcoleptics. cataplexy is very similar to a seizure, though it is not classified as one. episodes of cataplexy are usually (but not always) brought on by strong emotions, and cause you to lose control of different parts of your body, ranging from muscle limpness to full on collapse.
EDS, or excessive daytime sleepiness. often times, narcoleptics will suffer from something called a sleep attack, where they fall asleep uncontrollably. this can happen while working, driving, or doing hobbies.
increased risk of all cancers and other (yes, narcolepsy is suspected to be an autoimmune disease!) autoimmune diseases, as well as an increased rate of mental health issues. ADHD, diabetes, heart disease, and depression are often co-morbid with narcolepsy. tying in with this, we have an increased rate of suicide.
insomnia due to the nature of extremely fragmented and disrupted sleep. intense and vivid nightmares can often make WANTING to go to sleep difficult as well. pretty much any other sleep disorder can be co-morbid with narcolepsy.
decreased cognitive function. memory issues are common in people with narcolepsy; even a mild case of narcolepsy can be compared to going 48-72 hours without sleep in a normal person…except its every day.
not a symptom, but it often takes narcoleptics several years to be diagnosed w this disability; it is EXTREMELY under-diagnosed, and testing and treatment are very expensive even with insurance.
there is no cure for narcolepsy, only treatments. the only treatments we currently have are various stimulants (adderall, modafinil, ritalin, etc) or just straight up GHB. many people cannot tolerate these medicines, making treatment even more difficult.
(keep in mind that i am writing this post from an american perspective; i know treatment is often more accessible in some ways in other countries, though i also know it can be worse/harder in different ways too.)
I came across this post about a week ago, had an “Oh shit” moment, went to read the Wikipedia article, and had another “Oh shit” moment. I just spoke to my doctor and he says yeah, I might have narcolepsy, and he’s referred me for a sleep study. So. Yeah. I’m 49 and I’ve had these symptoms at least since I was 14, but since I don’t have cataplexy I didn’t take it seriously.
What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful…there’s a word for it: authentic
Vulnerability is a scary thing. We don’t want to look weak. We don’t want people to pity us or judge us. We know we can’t be perfect, but we don’t want to seem too imperfect.So often, we think our imperfections are our flaws. However, we shouldn’t confuse the two or make them interchangeable. Because our imperfections…
Setting monthly intentions has quickly become one of my favorite mindfulness practices. It’s a way to set goals for myself and a way to remind myself of the mindset I want to live in. I’ve started placing my intentions on my dresser so that I have to look at them every single day. This way, I’m not just writing the intentions to write them – I’m writing them so that I can…
This weekend I was in Southwest Virginia in a town called Blacksburg, Virginia where I spent four wonderful years going to college at Virginia Tech before graduating in 2015. I have family who currently lives in Blacksburg, family who grew up in Blacksburg and family who also previously attended and some who currently attend Virginia Tech.
An estimated 50 to 70 million Americans chronically suffer from a sleep or circadian-related condition (Project-Sleep). And it turns out I am one of those people. However many sleep disorders go undiagnosed or unnoticed simply because people don’t realize they have them. I was one of those people for so many years of my life. I wasn’t diagnosed with narcolepsy (without cataplexy)until the winter…
I am excited to share (even though I may have already initially shared) that I have been nominated for the WEGO Health Award in the 6th Annual WEGO Health Awards! Last year I was nominated for three categories and a finalist in two. This year, I’ve been nominated for two categories: Best in Show: Instagram and Best in Show: Twitter. WEGO Health is a mission-driven company connecting healthcare…
Permaculture Lessons, part two: Disabled Permaculture
Permaculture Lessons, part two: Disabled Permaculture
This is a guest post by Laura-Marie River Victor Peace Nopales (see contact info below).
Hello! I made a guest post on Awkward Botany in March, introducing myself and my spouse, and talking a little about my life with permaculture. Permaculture is a way I learn about plants, love the earth, grow delicious foods, and connect with others. Permaculture has a community aspect, and respect for all…
A collage of just a few of the horrible ignorant things people say about Narcolepsy. People ask why I’m so reluctant and embarrassed about having it and this is why. There is SO much misinformation about narcolepsy that it’s not even funny. Combine that with rape culture of today and you have a recipe for disaster…I could go on and on for ages with these collages of comments. Kind of depressing to read…
“It’s not against her will if she’s asleep” “Saves you from having to get your own chloroform” “It’s not rape if she’s narcoleptic” “It would be much easier..and more convenient that way (if a girl had narcolepsy).” “Narcolepsy is not a disease. It’s an excuse.” “You haven’t laughed until you’ve imagined narcoleptics doing everyday things like bowling and riding a horse.” “A girl with narcolepsy? You could rape her and she wouldn’t even know.”
This is rape culture mixed with IGNORANCE about a truly debilitating disease… The world we live in is so fucked up. This is the kind of thing that makes me wish I was six feet underground.
#DYK that General Benjamin Lincoln was narcoleptic?
Lincoln rode south to take up as difficult an assignment as given to any American general during the war. He was a man “about five feet nine inches in stature, and of so uncommonly a broad person, as to seem of less stature than he was”, for he weighed 224 pounds “and it sagged”. Fat, lumpy, lame to boot*, yet “with a countenance exceedingly kind and amiable” he also had an unfortunate affliction. “In the midst of a conversation, at table, and when driving himself in a chaise, he would fall into a sound sleep. While he command troops against the Massachusetts insurgents** he dictated dispatches and slept between the sentences. His sleep did not appear to disturb his perception of circumstances that were passing around him. He considered this an infirmity and his friends never considered to speak to him of it.
* Lame from being wounded in the Saratoga campaign. A musket ball shattered an ankle leaving him two inches shorter in that leg.
** These insurgents would be Western Massachusetts residents who were protesting in what would later be known as the Shays Rebellion
