Content Note: Chronic illness, disability, medical events (including severe headaches), emotional overwhelm, survival language. Gentle grounding included.
Welcome to The Den
Welcome to The Crippled Cryptid.
Disability. Chronic illness. Service dogs. Survival without the performance.
If you’re new here, hi. I’m Sky.
Professional cryptid. Unwilling amateur cyborg.
Writer. Advocate. Human being with a medical chart that reads like a horror anthology.
Most days are lived in a haunted meat suit with a questionable warranty and a long-standing feud with my nervous system.
I cope with sarcasm, snacks, and building something honest in a world that really prefers things to be tidy and inspirational.
This week?
We’re running on electrolytes, coffee, and the new peach Mr. Pibb.
Which may as well be a spiritual experience, honestly.
The coffee’s gone, because of course it is. I’m a caffeine-dependent lifeform doing my best to stick to one cup today.
But Thursdays…
Thursdays are quieter.
What This Space Is (And Isn’t)
This isn’t a rant.
This isn’t a report.
This is a check-in.
With me.
With you.
With the Den.
Because this space was never meant to be one-sided.
It’s a place to exist together.
To talk.
To be seen without performing wellness. Without pretending things are okay when they aren’t.
No inspiration porn.
No forced positivity.
No gold stars for suffering silently.
Just honesty.
Even when it’s messy.
Even when it’s a little feral around the edges.
The Creatures Who Keep Me Here
I spend a lot of time in Bed Jail™, but I’m rarely alone.
There’s Luna.
My medical alert service dog.
Guardian. Enforcer. Service Dingo™. Best Girl™.
Lately… she’s been hovering.
Not the usual “I would like a snack” hovering.
The intentional kind. Focused. Persistent.
Watching me closer than usual.
Sticking to me like she’s personally offended by the idea of me being unsupervised.
The kind of presence that says:
“Something’s not right, and I’m not letting you ignore it.”
Between Illinois’ chaotic weather and meeting my dad and his wife this weekend, she’s been extra clingy and demanding.
If you’re out there reading this… (I don’t know why you would be, but still)
Luna Bean would like to formally request that you come back, throw her ball, and give her more attention.
She has decided you’re part of her world now.
There is no appeals process.
She’s been right before.
Annoyingly often.
🐾 Luna Note:
Suspicious levels of activity detected.
Increased monitoring required.
Snacks may also be required. This is unrelated. Probably.
Then there’s M&M.
My Player 2. My soft place to land.
Currently in their “please sit down and stop being stubborn” era.
The maker of the best pineapple upside down cake. Extra cherries.
Non-negotiable.
And here’s the truth I keep circling back to:
That instinct… the “I’ll just push through it” reflex?
It kept me alive once.
It is not what keeps me safe now.
So let me say this clearly. For you and for me:
Don’t take that survival habit from me.
Even if I’m still learning how to put it down.
Even old Cryptids can learn new tricks.
I promise.
The Actual Check-In
Alright.
No dodging.
No “I’m fine, but-” escape hatches.
If it doesn’t work for me, it’s not going to work for you either.
So, tell me-
How are you doing… really?
You’re allowed to be honest here.
You are not a burden for having feelings.
You are not “too much” for existing in a hard body or a hard life.
Take a breath with me.
In for four.
Hold.
Out for six.
Again.
Unclench your jaw.
Drop your shoulders.
Get some water.
🐾 Luna Note:
If you are not drinking water, I will escalate.
This is a formal warning.
I’ll wait. Don’t worry, I am very good at waiting.
If the big question feels like too much, try this instead:
• One word for today
• One thing your body needs
• One thing you made it through
That counts. It all counts.
If your body feels loud right now, try naming five things you can feel.
Fabric. Air. Weight. Warmth. Something solid beneath you.
You don’t have to fix anything. Just notice.
Where I’m At
The Fox River is currently doing its best impression of a disaster movie.
Flooding across parts of Illinois, especially around Fox Lake and McHenry. People sandbagging, watching the water creep closer, trying to hold the line.
We’re lucky. We’re up on a hill.
But the warnings are still ongoing. Extended through May 3rd.
And I have absolutely yelled at the kitchen Alexa more times than I’d like to admit.
Yes, I know there’s a flood warning.
Yes, I am emotionally aware of it.
Please stop telling me every 20 minutes.
It’s stressing us out.
We’re watching.
We’re thinking about them.
We’re hoping their homes, their pets, their lives stay intact.
And we’re keeping an eye out for the animals running from rising water.
If you’re local and able, even small things help right now. Keeping an eye out. Sharing resources. Making space where you can.
At the same time, my body is doing its usual weather-related rebellion.
Pressure shifts.
Headaches.
That constant background thrum.
And then… last weekend.
Something I’m still bouncing over.
If you missed Tuesday’s post, I found my father through Ancestry DNA.
This weekend, he was here.
For real.
Not “maybe.”
Not “someone my mom used to know.”
Real.
We met his wife. She’s fantastic.
Luna approved, which is frankly the highest certification available.
We spent time together.
And suddenly, the house mattered in a way it didn’t before.
Not because it should.
But because… I wanted it to.
Even though they weren’t judging.
Even though they weren’t inspecting anything.
Anxiety still whispers nonsense sometimes.
So yes, I cleaned.
Kitchen? Done.
Dining room? Done.
Upstairs? Done.
Coffee station? Upgraded like it got a promotion.
Christmas tablecloth? Retired with honors.
Valentine’s roses? Sent to the afterlife where they belong.
Easter decor? Temporary stay of execution. They’re cute. They’ve earned it.
For now. I’m trying to retire them for the year but M&M is trying to convince me that bunnies can be year-round décor.
Halloween decor?
Be serious.
That stays.
We ordered pizza.
We had an amazing time.
And I can’t wait to do it again.
🐾 Luna Note:
Environment deemed acceptable for guests.
Ball still missing.
This is unacceptable.
The rest of the week has been the come-down from all of it.
Doctor’s appointment.
Buffet with M&M after.
Thrift store wandering.
Exhausting.
But… surprisingly good.
For You, Wherever You’re At
If this week is kicking your ass, I see you.
If you’re barely holding it together…
That still counts as holding it together.
If things feel heavy, you don’t have to carry it alone here.
And if things are good?
You’re allowed to say that too.
Without guilt.
Without apology.
There is room for all of it.
Even if you don’t have the words today.
You still showed up.
And that matters more than people give it credit for.
🐾 Luna Note:
Pack is accounted for.
You are included.
Do not wander off.
The Door Is Open
If you want to talk, my DMs are open.
No pressure.
No expectations.
Just… open.
If all you’ve got is a couple pawprint emojis because you need some extra Luna love?
I’ve got you.
I am fully stocked on soft, sleepy, devastatingly cute Luna photos this week.
No words required.
The Den’s still here.
So am I.
So are you.
I hope the rest of your week is kinder to you than the beginning was.
I’m really glad you’re here.
I mean that.
Love you.
Yeah, I said it first.
Your turn.
—Sky
🐾 Luna’s Official Assessment
Stayed on high alert.
Increased supervision protocols enacted.
Strongly recommended “sit down before you make it worse” at least 47 times.
Did not approve of the stubbornness.
Did approve of eventual resting.
Rating: 12/10. Excellent guardian. Would hover again.
Follow-up recommendation:
More rest.
More snacks.
More supervised existence.
© The Crippled Cryptid
Disability. Honesty. A little chaos.
(But softer today.)
🔗 https://linktr.ee/skylanarissa
No pressure to donate. Reading and sharing count.
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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