A Kind of Eulogy for Disability Twitter
Writing about my Pillow Cube made me think of all the great things I’ve gotten out of Disability Twitter. Now that Twitter is a nightmare zone that’s only getting worse, and I never look at it, I’ve been missing Disability Twitter and hope the same community can be on BlueSky, or whatever else. Here’s an ode to all the life changing things I’ve learned about via Disability Twitter.
Pillow Cube
I already talked about the Pillow Cube, but it bears repeating: PILLOW CUBE. I have tried ALL the pillows that say they’re supportive or orthopedic or good for arthritis or stiff joints. Pillow Cube isn’t just the winner, it’s not just on the podium, it’s every level of the podium. Gold, Silver, and Bronze all go to the Pillow Cube and everything else is forgotten forever. And I would have never known about it if it weren’t for someone on Twitter who ALSO tried every single promising painkilling pillow.
Shingles Vaccine
I got shingles twice by the time I was 35 (fun fact: I also got chicken pox twice as a kid). I went to urgent care to get my shingles diagnosis and mentioned this was my second go-round AND that I’m immunocomproised, and asked if I could get a shingles vaccine. The dr said no, but didn’t actually give a reason besides that I’d have to miss work if I got it (?!?!). I posted a little rant on Twitter and someone came in and said I CAN get a shingles vax AND they included a link to the CDC page saying I was eligible. I took all that info to my rheumatologist, got a shingles vax, and it’s all because of Disability Twitter. (Sidenote, it was still a huge pain in the ass to get my two shingles shots, even though I had a prescription and the CDC on my side, but it was worth it.)
Maskc KN95 Masks
I’m still wearing masks in public because 1) I’m immunocompromised, 2) Because I pay attention to the news, especially wastewater studies and 3) Because I know firsthand that you do NOT want to get a post-viral illness (see point 1). I was buying boring black masks from the Costco Business Center, then I saw a post on twitter about Maskc, a company with cute printed KN95 masks and a completely wild way of running their business. Maskc masks are overpriced, but they are constantly having “going out of business” sales that offer 80-90% off. Since I started getting all my masks from Maskc, they have allegedly shut down, moved warehouses, changed owners, shut down, and now they’re “closing July 1.” They’ve added a bunch of new designs, which is a surprising move for a company that’s completely shutting down in one week.
