I've been considering it for a long time; I lurk and am a member of the site, but I've never really shared stuff because I always thought my style wouldn't fit. Do you think it'd do well? Genuinely?
Trying to adjust my style toward my goals. I have a lot of Tim Burton inspiration. Would love some feedback - and to see your own characters trying the mantis dance!
This is the card art for Cheshire, a character from a world that lives in my head. Most of the characters are based on some sort of fairytale, but just a little twisted. This guy is based on the cheshire cat from the old Alice in Wonderland cartoon!
Cheshire is your charming 1950s snake oil salesman. He's a little sleazy, way too nosy, and secretly has a bigger heart than he'd ever admit to.
Location: Idaho state, Boise area.
My son goes to an elementary here. We have been going back and forth with this school since first grade and he just entered grade 4.
My family is not christian, and while we respect various beliefs, we also want to be respected in not partaking.
In first grade my son's teacher was regularly talking about Jesus and god and even had the children participate in coloring biblical art during december. My son took home artwork of colored paged of Jesus in the manger and other christian-related art. I contacted the school out of concern both via email and phone and have been documenting all of this since then.
We were told the children were simply learning about customs and religions around winter, and we asked why the only one they were being exposed to was christian. We were told they also apparently addressed other ones in a textbook, but I did not see those and I checked the text myself. Then the principal called us and directly apologized and said it was a good 'learning experience' for that teacher. We moved on.
Second grade was fine, no issues really.
Third grade... very religious teacher. She was regularly talking about religion to the kids, and even tried to convince our son to take part in a bible camp thing her church was doing. She basically convinced him he was missing out on what normal kids do and he came home incredibly distraught. We called and sent emails about how incredibly unacceptable this was. I tried to directly speak with the teacher and she went on a whole tangent about how great her church was and how we should try it out. My family struggles a lot financially (I have spent the last 3 years dealing with cancer and it has drained us completely for finances) and she kept pushing that she was just suggesting it because they had resources. I declined repeatedly and told her to stop. This happened three different times before I escalated again to the principal.
Fourth grade has just started. This year I wanted to be more proactive, so we called and spoke with the principal again (and I have also sent follow-up emails because I want a good paper trail). I informed her that I want to ensure these issues do not continue, and also brought up that all of the previous year my son had kept getting forced to pledge to the flag (my family does not believe in pledges) and that I wanted clear confirmation this would not continue.
The principal told me she had educated the previous third grade teacher and went on a tangent about how that previous teacher only had the best intentions, then she told me that our child was indeed required to stand for the pledge. I told her this was illegal and could result in a lawsuit and she said "not in Idaho". I told her to look up the US supreme court case, and she said she knew the law.
Then she said there is a new law apparently in our state for "prayer and other things like meditation" that all children are legally required to do and that because it's a state law, if my child "felt the desire" to pray they would be required to allow it and so would I.
I am 100% fine with my son finding his own beliefs in life, I am not okay with indoctrination or being disrespected. And I feel the fact that we are so egregiously poor (we can barely afford to eat) is being used against us.
I tried the free legal advice thing for low-income people but I was told they don't handle stuff like this and mostly do civil issues, and nobody seems able to point me at any service. I am at wits end and need to know what to do. If I had the money for a lawyer I would just do that, but it seems very hard to find, especially in a state where much of the population is heavily religious and gives us the stink-eye because we are not part of that religion.
40 female, 160lbs, 5'4. Don't smoke/drink/drugs, currently 2 years in remission from stage 3 cervical cancer.
I went through three types of chemo and 2 radiation (the normal type and the rods) and while I am thankfully in remission, I have had some serious issues since. Shortly after radiation, I developed diverticulitis. Radiation oncologist thinks radiation caused it, gyno thinks might be random and might be radiation, colorectal says unrelated to radiation.
Not sure if the cause matters but I have had three attacks of it and ended up sepsis in the ER each time, usually with a 4-6 day stay. It is in my upper right colon and I was told shows very clear distinct pockets.
I was told at this point that due to my immune system being so weak (not sure the logistics, I just keep getting told it's really weak) and the repeated sepsis that I needed to get part of my intestines removed. Was sent a referral to the colorectal surgeon (works at the same cancer clinic I've been going to).
Important note: During my cancer treatment, my gyno oncologist and radiation oncologist worked incredibly hard to save my ovaries, uterus and cervix. My cervix is super narrow as a result of the scar tissue and healing but not completely closed and my gyno wants to widen it with a surgery we have coming up in about 2 weeks. I have also had a lot of cramping and pain because fluid builds up constantly in my uterus.
When I met the colorectal surgeon yesterday, she said she plans to remove a large amount of colon because it is diseased, which I have circled in the attached picture. She said it is a major surgery with high risks and that I will need a colostomy bag for 2 months. I get it. But she also said she wants my uterus and cervix taken out because they are problematic. Of note, there are no indications of fistula and the walls of the uterus and intestine, I am told, do not look to be attached given the imaging (various MRI with and without contrast, colonoscopy, etc).
This is where it gets weird for me, and this involves sex talk, as fair warning.
I lost about 3 years total of my sex life during treatment. I have worked to try and revive it (my partner and I have had a wonderful 12 year relationship so far) and this is important to me. Now, I've actually taught adult sex ed and I'm very familiar with how sex and orgasms work. For women, a big part of an orgasm can be the sensation of the cervix pulsating that tends to accompany it. Each woman is different but this is generally a large part of the sensation of orgasm.
I told the colorectal surgeon I would rather not have my cervix removed. She seemed to think I didn't know what it was and said it was part of the uterus. I told her I was aware, but it's also part of my sexual experience and orgasms and I didn't want to lose that if I didn't have to. She looked at me like I was an absolute idiot and said it was not related to orgasms and that you only need the clitoris, then told me about how she had a hysterectomy years ago and how she's doing just fine. That made the conversation awkward so I dropped it.
I plan to bring this up with my gyno because I know he takes sexual health seriously, but now I am concerned a woman who's going to literally have my life in her hands, might become angry/irritated/annoyed if just go straight to my gyno and complain, let along starting an argument or something between them when they're supposed to work on this big surgery together (in about a month or two).
Please help.