Content Note
This post discusses chronic illness, disability, medical fatigue, environmental stressors, and the emotional weight of “low-capacity” weeks. While this one leans lighter, it still reflects the ongoing realities of living in a body that doesn’t always cooperate.
Please take care of yourself while reading. Step away if you need to. You’re always welcome back.
Welcome to The Crippled Cryptid
This is your gentle heads-up before we begin.
These posts talk openly about chronic illness, disability, medical trauma, symptoms, and the unfiltered reality of living in a body that doesn’t always cooperate.
Some weeks are soft reflections.
Some weeks are heavier.
This one?
Somewhere in between.
No one will ever judge you for skipping a post here. We understand how heavy things can get.
If you’re new here, hi. I’m Sky.
Professional cryptid.
Unwilling amateur cyborg.
Occasional chronic illness and disability advocate, author, and creator.
Medically complex enough to make my chart look like a horror anthology. I cope with sarcasm, stubborn hope, whatever snacks survived the week, and a concerning amount of coffee.
(Or it would be if the cardiologist thought POTS was a disability.)
Most days are lived in a haunted meat suit with a questionable warranty and a long-standing feud with my nervous system.
I spend a lot of time in Bed Jail™, but I’m rarely alone.
Luna is always there.
Medical alert service dog. Guardian. Enforcer. Tiny chaos gremlin with a medical degree she absolutely gave herself.
She’s the voice that says, “Hey. Sit down.”
And when I ignore her, she upgrades to, “Mumther, we are not negotiating with your bad decisions today.”
She’s less spirit guide, more heavily unionized supervisor.
And then there’s M&M.
My Player 2. My soft place to land.
She’s the one who shows up with ginger ale, soup, and quiet strength. The one who gives the 90% when I only have 10%.
She keeps the world from tipping sideways when my body tries to start something.
This space is for:
- Chronic illness without inspiration porn
- Disability without apologies
- Honesty without pretending it’s always neat or hopeful or easy
There will probably be dog hair involved.
Welcome to the Lunatic Café.
This Week’s Health Update
I would love to tell you that my health has been behaving.
Quiet. Polite. Sitting on a shelf like a well-trained demon.
But then I’d be lying.
And I don’t like being called a liar.
Maybe that’s the Irish ancestry talking. You don’t call the Fae liars. That feels like how you get cursed. This body is cursed enough.
Jokes aside, this has been one of those weeks where I’ve been working with a little less capacity than usual.
Not in a “everything is fine” way.
More in a “I don’t have the energy to fight every battle today” way.
The kind of week where you realize you’ve been ignoring your body not because you don’t care…
But because you’re tired of negotiating with it.
And sometimes? That’s just what the week is.
Weather, Warnings, and the Background Noise of It All
Illinois has been doing what Illinois does best this time of year:
Absolute chaos.
Rain.
Tornado warnings.
Flood warnings every five minutes.
Alexa announcing them like she’s breaking world news.
Apple Weather backing her up like an overachieving assistant.
And then Facebook, just in case I somehow missed it.
The Fox River is flooding. Fox Lake. McHenry.
And I don’t even need the updates at this point.
I can just look out the backyard.
The park at the bottom of the hill?
Gone.
Swallowed.
We’re safe. We’re up high.
But a lot of people aren’t.
We’ve been checking on friends and neighbors where we can.
Because this kind of thing… it doesn’t just stay “weather.”
It turns into stress. Loss. Disruption. One more thing people didn’t need.
They say April showers bring May flowers.
I say April brings flooding and a whole lot of people being pushed past their limits.
The Garden (A Small Kind of Magic)
If there’s a bright spot, it’s this:
The garden is waking up.
The chives are back.
The raspberry bushes from last year are thriving.
The tulips are pushing through like they’ve got something to prove.
Red. Yellow. Pink.
No purple this year, which feels a little rude, honestly.
But the daffodils are holding their own.
The violets too.
And we’ve been prepping.
Eggshells turned into calcium powder.
Worked back into the soil. Nutrients returned. A quiet kind of care.
There’s something about working with the earth that steadies me.
Even when I can’t do much.
Even when my body taps out early.
I still made it outside for a little while.
I still put my hands in the dirt.
And that counts.
Looking Ahead (Gently)
Gardening season is almost here.
We usually plant on Mother’s Day weekend, but with how unpredictable everything’s been, we might start a little earlier this year.
There’s also a strong possibility that Garden of Whimsy becomes its own weekly update.
Because let’s be honest, the garden deserves her own spotlight.
Health Stuff (The Actual Part)
On Monday at 1 PM: allergy shots.
Beyond that?
It’s mostly been:
- Adjusting to the heat again
- Managing migraines and weather-triggered headaches
- Trying to exist in a body that reacts to barometric pressure like it’s a personal attack
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing catastrophic.
Just… maintenance.
Which is still work, even when it doesn’t look like it.
Life Stuff (The Human Part)
Tomorrow, I’m spending time with my newly found father and his wife.
And I’m looking forward to it.
Which feels like something worth naming.
Because not everything has to be heavy to be meaningful.
Where This Week Lands
This wasn’t a “good” week.
But it wasn’t a bad one either.
It was a real week.
The kind where you don’t do everything right.
The kind where you’re a little tired, a little behind, a little out of sync.
But you’re still here.
And sometimes that’s the whole story.
🐾 Luna’s Notes from the Field
Hi. Yes. It is me. The professional.
This week’s observations:
- Mumther ignored at least 3 early warning signs before I escalated
- Hydration levels: suspicious
- Rest compliance: needs improvement
- Cuddle compliance: acceptable
I would like it noted that I am doing an excellent job.
Please remind your local humans that “pushing through it” is not a personality trait. It is a problem.
Thank you for your time.
You may now return to your regularly scheduled haunting.
Before You Go — A Soft Check-In
If something here hit close to home, you’re not alone.
If you stayed anyway, thank you.
You don’t have to earn your place here.
A gentle reminder from the Lunatic Café:
- Take your meds if it’s time
- Drink some water
- Eat something small, even if it’s just a few bites
No gold stars required.
Just survival.
Just existing.
And that’s enough.
-Sky
© The Crippled Cryptid
Disability, honesty, and a little chaos.
🔗 https://linktr.ee/skylanarissa
There’s never pressure to donate. Reading, sharing, or simply staying is more than enough.
If you’d like to support the long, slow work of staying alive, stable, and mobile:
💜 https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-skys-journey-to-health-and-mobility
Leave a comment