Welcome back to The Crippled Cryptid-
A cozy corner of the internet where disability, chronic illness, service dogs, and everyday magic sit at the same table. This is a space stitched together with honesty, humor, advocacy, and the beautifully chaotic reality of living in a haunted meat-suit that doesn’t always follow its own instruction manual. Whether you’re here for education, solidarity, or simply a place to set your bones down and breathe, I’m glad you found your way back. Pull up a chair, grab something warm, and let’s dive in together.
Things have been a little off-kilter lately (when are they not?), especially on my end, but I’m gently nudging myself back toward something that looks like a routine.
So, today I want to talk about my favorite four-legged person- if “person” is even the right word.
Luna.
My service dog.
My lifeline.
My salmon-skinned-treat-powered chaos gremlin.
And all the ways she’s saved my life so far.
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From “Free On Facebook” to Medical Marvel
If you didn’t already know, we adopted Luna on May 11th, 2024. Originally, she was meant to be a simple house pet- a companion for us and for our little old man Bear, who we lost last month. Bear adored puppies, especially the ones he’d meet at the farmer’s market right before we’d grab the Yard Yeti, our Garlic Underground seasonings (holy grail), Cheese People cheese (no explanation needed), or a loaf from our favorite bread vendor.
We tried adopting through the rescue at the market, but it fell through. And then- like fate with muddy paws- Luna appeared because someone was giving her away for free on Facebook.
The puppy phase? Rough. Ruff. Pun absolutely intended.
She got into the trash. Tore up things she had no business tearing up. Hurt my feelings more than once. (More than twice, if we’re shooting for honesty.)
But she also started alerting to migraines and muscle spasms on her own. She showed drive, instinct, intelligence- and that she could be so much more if someone gave her structure and a chance.
Once I realized she’d had no routine, no regular meals, and had been competing with another dog for food, a lot of her behavior made painful sense. If your food could be stolen at any moment, you’d panic-eat and hoard, too.
(It also echoed a little too loudly with how food-insecure many folks have been in the U.S. lately with benefits cuts- but thankfully, that fear period has passed with SNAP starting back up again.)
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So, Here’s Everything Luna Has Taught Me- and Every Way She’s Saved Me
- She taught me to take myself (and life) a little less seriously.
Dogs embrace chaotic joy.
Nothing humbles you quite like a dog joyfully ripping apart her toys (and your stuffed animals), sneaking dirt onto freshly cleaned floors, or rolling blissfully in something that smells like sentient rot.
And Luna reminds me that I’m allowed to let go sometimes, too. Obviously not by rolling in poo like she sometimes still does- something we still don’t condone, by the way.
Just the normal way, by ordering way too much Chinese takeout once in a blue moon so they send enough fortune cookies for an army… when it’s really just three humans, and a dog.
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She taught me how to slow down.
Luna is an absolute connoisseur of naps.
She naps in sunbeams; winter naps bundled in blankets- especially the heated blanket. Naptime with her- snoring like a small jet engine- is one of the only things that pulls me out of my spiral brain sometimes.
She forces me to pause.
To breathe.
To exist, simply without doing.
That, in itself, is medicine- especially when her silly bleps are involved.
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She taught me to try new things, especially food.
Our older dogs liked their snacks, but Luna is a true culinary explorer.
Chicken? Yes.
Beef? Absolutely.
Lamb? Give. Me. More.
But salmon- the freeze-dried salmon skins from Costco specifically- is her true, stinky soulmate.
Watching her try new things with enthusiasm slowly nudged me to try new things, too. If my dog can be brave with snacks, I can be brave in small ways too.
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She taught me patience. Real patience.
This dog came to us wild- smart, yes, but untrained and overwhelmed.
(Maybe as easily overwhelmed as I sometimes am.)
Puppies are hard.
Training is hard.
Reshaping a life- especially one without structure -is hard.
Yet, I still remember the Yard Yeti saying, not long after we’d brought her home, that maybe we should bring her back because she was “too much.”
Now? He laughs every time she runs to him, tail spinning like a helicopter blade. He melts when she cuddles up beside him. He’ll lovingly call her “Lulu,” dragging out that one word like it’s his favorite, and he can wrap himself in it for protection.
Returning her would’ve broken something in all of us. She’s the heartbeat of this home now- especially after losing Bear at the end of October.
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She taught me that practice makes progress.
Not perfection- we don’t do perfection here.
Unreasonable, unattainable standards just aren’t for us.
But progress? Absolutely.
If we don’t practice her commands, alerts, and tasks, she gets rusty eventually. Even brilliant dogs (and people) need refreshers sometimes.
She reminds me that consistency matters- but also that it’s okay not to get things right the first time.
And when you do get things right, you are allowed to treat yourself.
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She taught me to trust my instincts.
Sometimes Luna refuses to listen- not because she’s being a bad girl, or stubborn- but because she knows something I don’t.
That’s part of what it means to have a medical alert service dog.
There are nights where she’ll wake me, anchor on my legs, apply Deep Pressure Therapy, and while I might complain… she’ll stay right there until whatever it is has passed.
And every time, she’s right.
She prevents muscle spasms, dysautonomia crashes, and migraines before I feel a single warning sign sometimes.
She trusts her instincts, even when I doubt mine.
And by doing so, she teaches me to listen.
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She taught me boundaries and interdependence.
Luna, unlike me, knows her limits: when she needs structure, reassurance, or rest.
Watching her navigate her needs teaches me to navigate my own: to stop apologizing, to sit before I fall, to ask for support when needed.
She relies on me. I rely on her.
It’s not weakness- it’s partnership.
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She taught me joy.
The tail wags.
The cold nose.
The soft fur.
The instinctive way she presses into me when I’m hurting.
She’s my soft place to land.
My warning system.
My guardian shadow.
People say she’s lucky to have me, but really? I’m the lucky one.
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She taught me that rest is not optional- it’s essential.
Watching her honor rest helps me give myself permission to do the same.
Even when it isn’t always easy.
I grew up in a house that didn’t honor rest- helping and watching my mother while taking care of my grandfather, then my mother, then others. Even up until my grandmother died in 2023, I was taking care of someone else.
I never learned to take care of myself fully, and I’m still learning.
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She taught me that joy doesn’t have to be earned.
She enjoys things freely, no prerequisites.
This is something I struggle with, but she’s teaching me to let myself be happy without needing to earn it.
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She taught me to take up space without apology.
Luna does not make herself small.
And she reminds me that I don’t have to either.
I can take up space with my cane, walker, wheelchair, or Luna- without apology.
(We deserve to exist and take up space.)
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She taught me to celebrate small wins.
Chronic illness life is small wins- and she reminds me they count.
I try to focus on my progress at 30-years-old instead of comparing to others.
(Although I will admit that sometimes, I’m not always successful when it comes to this one.)
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She taught me that love can be grounding. Literally.
Her DPT isn’t just taskwork- it’s love that keeps me tethered.
She drapes herself across me and performs DPT when I need her, keeping me physically and emotionally grounded.
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She taught me to trust that help can exist without strings.
Her help is freely given- no debt, no guilt.
But she will happily accept payment in salmon skins, ear scritchies, and belly rubs.
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She taught me to live in the moment.
She pulls me into the present just by existing so vibrantly.
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She taught me that laughter is medicine.
Even in tough times, her goofy antics, silly bleps, and mischievous behavior remind me to laugh and lighten my heart.
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She taught me resilience.
Through setbacks in training, health, or life, she keeps going. Watching her bounce back reminds me that I can too.
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So yes, some days she makes mistakes. We all do. But she brings me a special kind of peace and solace that can’t be bought. This bond isn’t something you can purchase; it’s something you build and maintain every day- even on rainy ones like today.
-Sky, The Crippled Cryptid
Written with Liquid I.V. on one side, warm socks, and Luna snoring on the bed.
© The Crippled Cryptid—Disability, honesty, and a little chaos.
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