Unexpected Side Effects, Generic Medications, and My Aversion to Doctors Curled up on a black leather couch I cradle my bloated stomach. My partner begs me to let him call the nurse hotline. Bailey the dog sits on her brown bed with her stuffed monkey. I named the stuffed animal…

put the work in to avoid puppy mills and backyard breeders Obviously the number one way to avoid puppy mills and backyard breeders is to adopt a dog from a shelter or certified rescue organization. In a world where there are already homeless dogs facing euthanasia because of space and resources, it is hard for me to find justification in creating…

Sixteen Years And The Scars Still Bleed My family talks about it like it was only last year — lost time, lost motivation, lost lives, lost community and self-worth. My grandma thinks the stress of sent my grandpa to an early grave. Sixteen years ago. Sixteen years feels long and…

You Do Not Have to Maintain a Bottomless Well of Forgiveness for Men (Trigger Warning: this piece mentions sexual assault and suicide.) I grew up trying not to be angry. I was taught anger was not productive, a waste of time, and a display of weakness. Strength meant moving on from whatever upset you and/or forgiving whoever was to blame. It wasn’t until…

you can’t please everyone & most things are about poop — (1) Sometimes a pet will not like you and there is nothing you can do about it. There have only been a couple instances where a pet has disliked me to the point where I couldn’t complete my job. It was only ever cats. One week I went to take…

this ruse for Medium to pay authors less will result in a great exodus I was admitted to the Partner Program a few days before the new Partner Program rules went into effect. As of today I have made less than two dollars. I signed up for the Partner Program…

croquet, giant paella, and an unexpected guest — On a sunny weekend morning I slide into a white bodycon dress, pull on a white crochet poncho top, add a straw hat, and a pair of white strappy heels. I am not proud of the outfit. My mom and I went discount shopping to follow the white dress code…

Travel, Type 2 Fun, & the “Kuwait 4D Experience” — The terracotta landscape of Zaragoza takes shape as our plane descends; tall tan apartment buildings border the highway to the city. It feels like real-life sepia. I thought there would be more green. Crammed into a cab driving too many km per hour, we fly through the scorched sea of…

Pandemic Weight Gain, Generational Disordered Eating and Body Image Issues (Trigger warning: this story contains discussions of eating disorders, disordered eating, and Body Dismorphia) Before I moved to the East Coast, I took care of a fourth-grade girl after school. Her parents hired me to drive her to climbing and martial arts lessons, help her do homework, and cook her…