#yoga pants girl
[Image description: YPG is on the floor laughing. A woman in hospital scrubs says “All I asked was if you were taking any medications.”
The caption reads: “Chronic illness amusements: New people at your doctor’s office.”]
Am I on any medications? Oh bless your heart!
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[Image Description: YPG is talking with a doctor.
YPG: If I said there was a single treatment that cured everything, including cancer, depression, infections, and the common cold, you would say…?
Doctor: It’s a hoax. No one treatment can cure every medical issue.
YPG: But when doctors claim that weight loss can do all that?
Doctor: That’s pure science!
YPG: (facepalms) I think I have to leave now.]
I’m not saying have an entire diet of eating nothing but Cheetos, but I suspect that losing weight is not the cure all for every freaking illness ever.
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[Image description: A doctor tells YPG “It’s amazing how many illnesses can be cured by losing weight!”
YPG looks at him in disgust as she replies, “What’s amazing is that you think that’s proof that it’s true, while I think it’s proof that it’s bullshit.”]
Kit’s not the only one who can have annoying messages.
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[Image description: YPG is grayed out and looking downcast. She asks “Hello? Can anyone see me?”
The caption is “How mental illness makes me feel sometimes.”]
I also feel mute too. Or unheard. Not right this second, just sometimes.
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[Image description: Dee has her arm around YPG’s shoulders as she asks “Forget about the work you missed, how are you?” The captions say “Beings that are far too rare in the world of chronic illness: the understanding co-worker.”]
You… care that I wasn’t feeling well? You feel sympathy for me? That’s even an option??
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[Image Description: Kit and YPG are talking. The caption says “Kit comments on the difficulties involved in taking meds (aka the last 10 comics).”
Kit: Isn’t the answer not to take meds at all?
YPG: The answer is for folks like you to be more understanding.
YPG: Meds aren’t an easy option! We don’t take them because we’re looking for a quick fix!
YPG: We take them because even with all the difficulties involved it’s the only chance some of us have to stay alive!
Kit: You could’ve just said ‘no.’
YPG: No, I really couldn’t have.]
Call it the moral of the story, if you will.
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[Image description: YPG glares at her doctor and says “What do you mean I have to start over?!”
Her doctor replies “It’s common to do this 3-4 times to find the right prescription.”]
At least 3 months to take effect times 3-4 tries equals at least a year before you might be something like healthy. Fun!
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[Image description: YPG covers her face in misery. A giant-sized version of Bad Brain looms over her and says “I don’t know about you but I feel great!”
The caption says “Reason #9 why medication isn’t the ‘easy’ answer: the chance that it might make you feel worse.]
You will only know if the meds help if you take them. Unfortunately this means that you may take some unhelpful meds along the way.
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[Image description: An image of the Earth revolving around the sun. A caption points to the Earth and says “Start of meds.” The Earth is then one quarter of the way around the sun with another caption which reads “First signs of results.”
YPG facepalms and says “I don’t want my health measured by cosmic events!”
Her doctor replies “How about as the life cycle of over 4000 mayflies?”
The final caption reads “Reason #8 why medication isn’t the ‘easy’ answer.”]
It’s worth noting that not all meds take at least three months to take effect, but many of them do. So whenever you start one, you have to wait at least three months before you even know if they did any good.
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It was one year ago that Yoga Pants Girl was born. I feel like there should be a comic to mark the occasion but 1) I didn’t realize the anniversary was today until I turned the page in my book of days and 2) even if I had remembered I was too sick this week (and yesterday esp, omg migraine) to do anything.
Still, I didn’t want the day to pass without saying anything, so I hope everyone will forgive the lack of artwork that goes with this post.
It’s amazing to me that one year ago I had an idea about using art to deal with my illness and today it become something so much bigger than myself.
As of me writing this there are about 450 followers of YPG on Tumblr, and that’s not even touching on the people who may follow it through RSS feeds or other methods. (In contrast, my personal tumblr has about 70, most of whom I’m pretty sure followed me by accident).
I’d love to draw (…heh) some far reaching conclusions about how this speaks to a shared sense of community or the commonality we all have in spite of how our illnesses may differ. But I think that’s a bit much for even my ego to lay claim to.
Instead I will be very selfish and say that if nothing else it helps me feel connected to the rest of you. It means so much when I can put out my amateur scribbles of a comic and see that somebody else recognizes what I’m talking about. It feels so much less lonely to see the likes, and the reblogs, and the comments of “GPOY” or sharing of personal experiences.
As I’ve said before, my illness is such that I often feel lost and forgotten in a cave of spikes. It means more than I can say that there are others out there who hear me, and shout back to let me know I’m not alone.
If what I do can even somehow in some tiny way make you guys feel the same, then I’m both grateful and honored.
Thank you so much everybody! Here’s to year 2!
[Image description: YPG stands with her arms out in front of her and her eyes looking dazed.
The caption reads “Reason #7 why medication isn’t the ‘easy’ answer: Not sure if feeling like a zombie is only a temporary side effect.]
It’s important to note that the right meds make you feel normal. But that’s not necessarily the first thing they make you feel.
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[Image Description: The first caption reads “In honor of our 100th comic we again take a moment to have fun with actual search terms used to find this Tumblr.
In this installment: ‘girl yoga pants pics.’”
YPG points to a strip of pictures that are nothing but yoga pants. She says “And here they are on the trip we took to the beach!”
The final caption reads “As always, we don’t get it either. Oh well. Thanks for reading! See you next time!”]
100 comics! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
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[Image description: YPG holds a bucket in her hands and looks green in the face. She uses the bucket to be sick in. The caption reads “Reason #6 why medication isn’t the ‘easy’ answer: side effects.”]
I mean our bodies just love having to adjust to new chemicals in the system. It’s so much fun!
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