There are two people that I came upon, one that was in a wheelchair and another who legs were both amputated.

Wheelchair:

In the supermarket one day and saw this beautiful guy. He was in a wheelchair. Did not know his circumstances but he was very attractive. I looked up and his girlfriend gave me this look like: “Yeah he does look good”. I guess she thought I was looking at the wheelchair, but I was looking at him. This guy was extremely sexy and if I had the chance, the wheelchair wouldn’t have been an issue.

Amputee:

I was on the bus and this guy walks on th bus with not legs. He had his look as if he was coming off of work. He had his briefcase and suit on. I always use this guy as an example towards my child father who is has mental disabilities.

Maybe I am saying all the wrong things to you all who are in wheelchairs or amputees but what else am I going to say. Either we can lie and act like we are trying to protect your feelings or we can tell our stories just as you all are.

I am not bias towards anyone and totally respect people who do have some sort of disadvantages. Mentally you may not have a disadvantage but physically you do. I am overweight and I am not going to act like I do not have any disadvantages and their are many. I know how if feel to be look at and stared at and also laughed at. But I do not have a problem with myself inside. People who may have the whole package are the ones who do not have their sanity, and believe me, I know a lot who do not.

I totally admire you all by expressing your feelings and letting many know about your strengths, weaknesses, and what pisses you off. I think that everyone can learn from blogs like this. People do have feelings and they need to be heard. I am not trying to offend anyone…Keep on spreading your words and thoughts….LOVE!!!

Testosterone that is naturally produced in a biological male will increase the risk of all kinds of diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, liver disease, bone cancer, and lymphoma. Testosterone lowers the body’s ability to combat bad cholesterol, which also causes circulatory diseases.

Whether or not a person will have a higher risk of getting these diseases is taken into account before starting hormone therapy, whether a person is biologically male or biologically female. We all react to hormones in the same way, with the same changes, but at different speeds and different levels of risk.

If a person is transsexual and they undergo hormone replacement, it is usually under the care of a doctor and they have regular check-ups, just like any other person. I would hate to think that you’re saying it is dangerous to replace a person’s hormones when they transition, or when they are no longer able to produce those hormones on their own–indeed, it is the contrary. It is significantly more dangerous to not allow HRT to take place. With someone who does not have adequate hormone or adequate ability to use hormone, serious health complications take place. For people who are denied the ability to transition fully and successfully, suicide is much higher, as well as clinical depression, self-injury and self-mutilation, and drug and alcohol abuse. I see the benefits of such therapy.

When one is paralyzed, certain physical changes do take place and if it is serious enough, paralysis can cause complications. This is because when nerves break down, the organs they once served begin to break down, too. Organs below the injury line, like the muscles of the limbs, break down and atrophy begins immediately. When this happens to vital organs, it can lead to death. This is most common in the skin, bones, and muscle tissue. It also affects cartilidge, tendons, veins and arteries, and other connective tissues.

The question is not does this lower life, it is does this lower life more than depression, anxiety, social stigma, or suicidal tendencies?

I say the answer to that is treatment is always better than no treatment. Since there are no standards for BIID treatment, I guess only time and advocacy will see that changes happen.

Paralysis, per se, doesn’t make the body more prone to infection or weaker. There are real related possible problems, such as pressure sores, but an amputee could also develop skin ulcers.

IIRC paralysis does make the body weaker and more prone to infection. Don’t most people disabled by paralysis have a shorter life expectancy after paralysis than before? If this is true, doesn’t it then create an ethical conflict by statistically lowering the patient’s life expectancy regardless of their desire for impairment?

I have known doctors that approached treatment with a “social model” attitude, and invariably, patients were happier.

It is a mistake (current in a western perception of medicine) that doctors are there only to treat a broken body. But health comprises more than just a physical element, it has to be looked as a whole. And part of “health” is quality of life.

If the doctor perceives quality of life as low, then they perceive health as low.

It *is* a bias against disabilities (or perhaps you’ll prefer to think of it in terms of a significant deviation from the norm). I’m not saying it’s the doctor’s fault, they are the result of the education system, and society. But it’s there, we can’t avoid it.