Content Note: Chronic illness, disability, grief (pet loss), medical events (migraines, seizures), emotional overwhelm, gentle caregiving themes.
Welcome to The Crippled Cryptid
Disability. Chronic illness. Service dogs. Survival without the performance.
If you’re new here, hi.
I’m Luna Bean.
Medical alert service dog.
Certified Good Girl.
Full-time nervous system supervisor.
Mama’s body is very dramatic.
My job is to notice before it steals the spotlight.
I alert to:
- Migraines
- Seizures
- Heart rate spikes
- Muscle spasms
- Suspicious vibes that deserve a second opinion
I interrupt spirals.
I apply Deep Pressure Therapy like it’s a sacred ritual.
Because it is.
I’m learning to retrieve things when hands stop cooperating.
Some call me a dog.
Others call me medical equipment.
Mama calls me her freedom.
I consider myself a very important partner.
Maybe even a sidekick.
Mama says I have “main character energy.”
Whatever the fluff that means.
The Den, The People, The Kingdom I Rule
Most days move slowly.
Some happen from Bed Jail™.
That’s fine. I’m excellent at staying close and making sure Mama doesn’t drift too far away from herself.
There’s also M&M.
Mama #2.
Belly rub-giver. Treat-giver. Emotional support human.
She picks out my sweaters in the winter.
In warm weather, she chooses my bandanas.
She has excellent taste.
She belongs to both of us.
Then there’s the Yard Yeti.
Mama’s little brother. My best friend.
He shouts “Lulus!” the loudest.
He gets the most tail wags. The most boing.
He throws my ball the furthest.
I love him very much.
Sit, Stay, Hydrate (This Is an Order)
Welcome to the Lunatic Café.
On today’s menu: Friday Takeover, Good Weather Edition.
Hi, hello. Sit. Stay.
Good, human.
I hope you’ve eaten something.
Taken your meds if it’s time.
Had some water.
Do not be like Mama, who claims coffee is hydration and a meal.
(It is not. I have checked.) 🐾
The Week in Review: Suspicious Sunshine & Returning Magic
This week… Mama has been mostly okay.
There were moments where the migraine dragon was breathing down her neck. I kept watch. Obviously.
But here’s something important. Pay attention, hooman.
Despite the warm weather.
Despite the thunderstorms.
Despite the sky doing all kinds of dramatic nonsense with flood warnings and tornado watches…
My alerts were minimal.
Which means Mama listened.
(Write that down. It’s rare.)
Instead of being stubborn, she chose Bed Jail™ on purpose.
She stayed put.
Watched movies with Mama #2.
Let her body be loud without trying to fight it into silence.
Which meant my job was mostly:
- Supervising
- Snuggling
- Light monitoring (for professionalism)
And honestly?
That’s my favorite kind of shift.
Quiet work.
Soft breathing.
Everyone staying where they’re supposed to be.
We call that a Very Good Decision in this household.
🐾 Approved.
But something strange started happening…
The dandelions came back.
The birds multiplied.
Bright yellow finches.
Mourning doves.
And the rude birds Mama doesn’t like that scare the pretty ones away. I think they’re called starlings.
I watch them from the deck.
The spot that used to be Bear’s.
Now, I lay there in the sun.
And sometimes, it feels like he’s still there.
Watching over all of us.
The Bed, The Memory, The Soft Place to Land
This week, Mama did something really nice for me.
Mama #2 helped.
They brought up Bear’s bed.
The one from the corner in our room.
The one he loved most.
The one with all his dino babies.
They put it in the back room.
By Mama’s coffee spot.
Near my food and water.
Close to the treat station. (Important.)
They told me it was mine now.
At first, I wasn’t sure.
Because it was his.
But then they added:
- My turkey toy
- My squeaky bone
- My ball
- A shirt that smells like Mama #2
And it became something new.
It still reminds me of him.
Sometimes that’s a sad thing.
But not always.
🐾 I guard it for him, too.
Adoptiversary, Even If He Isn’t Here
On Tuesday, we celebrated what would have been Bear’s 11th Gotcha Day.
He wasn’t here.
But we celebrated anyway.
Mama and I sat together in the back room.
She gave me puffed yak cheese.
She told me I was the bestest girl.
She said my big brother would be proud of me.
I choose to believe that.
Because I do everything he taught me.
My Very Important Responsibilities
I make the Yard Yeti laugh.
Even when he’s been gone a while.
He comes home, kneels down, and shouts “Lulus!”
I tackle him with love. It’s mutual.
I watch Mama closely.
Especially when she’s being stubborn.
When she pushes too far, I upgrade her name to Mumther so she knows I’m serious.
This includes:
- Big sighs
- Intense eye contact
- Elite-level cattle dog side-eye
Mama #2 gets stuck in her head sometimes.
So I remind her:
Stay here.
Breathe.
Maybe don’t answer that phone call if it only brings stress.
I run a tight ship.
Chosen Family (Obviously I Picked Them)
I have a lot of work to do.
And you know what?
That’s okay.
Because I chose them.
I love them more than anything.
I don’t know where I would have ended up otherwise.
Sometimes I hear about the dog they almost adopted.
The one they didn’t get because the shelter said “all dogs deserve to grow up with kids.”
I don’t think that’s true.
I think all dogs deserve to be seen for who they are.
To be loved for who they are.
To belong where they feel safe.
I wouldn’t choose any other family.
Are they weird? Yes.
Are they a little chaotic? Obviously.
Are they mine? Forever.
Before You Go
Thanks for staying with us.
If something here felt familiar, you’re not alone.
If today asked too much of you, it’s okay to rest.
You don’t have to earn care.
You don’t have to prove pain.
You don’t have to be productive to be worthy.
I’ll be right here.
Watching Mama’s breathing.
Listening for quiet shifts.
Ready to interrupt, ground, or curl up as needed.
If you want to spoil me, Mama made an Amazon wishlist.
No expectations. Ever.
Just an option for people who like sending love in ball or chew toy form.
Until next Friday,
Luna 🐾
(on behalf of Mamas)
© The Crippled Cryptid
Disability. Honesty. A little chaos.
(And yes. Dog fur.)
🔗 https://linktr.ee/skylanarissa
No pressure to donate. Reading, sharing, and existing alongside me is already enough.
If you want to support the long, unglamorous work of survival and mobility:
💜 https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-skys-journey-to-health-and-mobility
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