CVS Zine Image Descriptions

  1. Cover page for a digital zine. Text reads: “CVS; content warning: vomit, suicidal ideations; not the corporation” over a red background with digitally drawn black arrows and spirals circling “CVS” with white highlights
  2. Black background white text that reads: “Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS). Brain-gut disorder characterized by acute episodes of severe nausea, vomiting, and retching. Recurring episodes may last hours, days, weeks, or months. 1. feeling well 2. prodrome 3. episode 4. recovery. Symptoms: intense vomiting (multiple times per hour) fever, dizziness, nausea, abdominal migraines, pallor, fainting, dehydration, lethargy, photophobia, phonophobia, and more...” Digitally drawn graphics show a cat throwing up into a toilet and the cycle of a CVS episode drawn out using faces from a pain scale: reflecting the cycle of feeling well, onset of an episode (prodrome), the episode, and the recovery period.
  3. Black, white, and red page that reads: “Set offs: food, lack of sleep, stress, temperature, illness, sometimes its just random. During episodes: severe, repeated vomiting and pain, inability to talk, low movement, dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound“ A digital drawing next to the text says: “Daily checklist: no food before bed, 8 hours of sleep, don’t overheat, take preventative meds, don’t get too happy, don’t get too sad.”
  4. Two digitally drawn calendars with various days blocked off in yellow, orange, and red. Text reads: “sometimes a month looks like this (Calendar 1) but sometimes it looks like this… (Calendar 2)” A key shows: yellow means nausea and abdominal migraines, orange means vomiting and exhaustion, red means severe vomiting and pain. Calendar 1 shows 8 yellow days, 2 orange days, and 2 red days across the span of one month. Calendar 2 shows 8 yellow days, 6 orange days, 9 red days across the span of one month.
  5. A black background with white text that reads: “but remember…everyone is different. CVS shows up differently for each person. Each person‘s experience is their own and is not representative of all people with CVS.” Red digitally drawn images of fingerprints, stars, snowflakes, and lighting strikes are scattered next to the text.
  6. Black, white, and red page with text blocks. Text reads: “CVS is debilitating. 93% of people with CVS reported an inability to complete daily activities during episodes (source 1). There is no cure, only attempts at episode prevention. Around 70% of adults with CVS reported episodes that have lasted longer than 7 days (source 1). Episodes can happen at any time, but most start in the early mornings. Vomiting ranges from 1 to 100+ per episode. CVS is more common in children, but can develop in adults. For example, from COVID-19 (source 2). Digitally drawn image of an alarm clock going off at 3:00 sits beside the text.
  7. Black, white, red, and yellow page with text that reads: “How to support someone with CVS. During episodes: provide care based on needs. Examples: cool rags, dark rooms, silence, water, patience, towels, support with daily activities, support financially. Between episodes: normalization and connection. Examples: destigmatize illness, vomiting, depression, pain, isolation, silence, cancellations, disability, support during recovery and daily tasks. Wear a mask! You can help prevent illness and episodes while out in public. People with disabilities deserve access to public spaces without risking their health or lives. You are also at risk of developing CVS with every COVID infection! There are no words to express how painful back-to-back vomiting is, especially when you’re already sick.” Digitally drawn images of red hearts, arrows, and an N95 surround the text.
  8. Black, white, and red page that features two images and text. The first image is a hand drawn sketch of a person curled up on the bathroom floor in front of a toilet. There is a puddle underneath them. A noose hangs from the shower rod out of reach. “Too sick to hang” is written below the image. The second image shows a screenshot of a post that reads “@64mpg; July 8 2025; I think that other people have access to an energy source that i don’t, but that’s okay. i’m happy for them. I do wish that was me though.” A digitally drawn image of a gravestone that reads “RIP my mitochondria“ sits besides the text. There are two labels, one that reads “CVS art” pointed at image 1 and another that reads “relatable post” pointed at image 2. Below is a white box with black text that reads: “Image descriptions: https://www.headfullofworms.neocities.org/cvsid, sources: (1) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11748820/ (2) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11748820/