Chronicillness - Blog Posts

Weird kind of validation to having to call a physical therapy session early for the third time in a row. I got a cold a couple weeks ago so my heart rate is still being even stupider than usual. It's incredibly frustrating obviously, but it's also honestly nice to see some stats clearly representing a problem after my doctor refused to refer me to a cardiologist for more testing because he ran a preliminary test wrong 🙃

Also got told I should be walking less to recover unfortunately. I need to PACE and go for WALKS. Real stupid I think.

Reminds me of when I went to a Renaissance festival with a big wooden staff and I was so excited because I didn't have to worry about my balance so much. And then it still took me months to start using a cane even just at home

A reminder that if you didn’t need a mobility aid you wouldn’t be day dreaming and fantasizing about how they would help you navigate the world and that no matter how much internalized ableism you hold it won’t change your reality about your conditions and you SHOULD do what is best for you because no one will punish you more than yourself if you keep ignoring your needs

What doesn't kill you flares up and tries again

Yes! So, I am a disabled and chronically ill aroace cane user. I fully understand that not all disabled people are aspec and vice versa. But some are! What we really need is more variety in representation, but there's just not enough of it in the first place.

There can be issues with characters like this depending on their story and how their identity is handled. For example, I think the way Viktor from Arcane was confirmed as ace was... not the best, and potentially insulting to some aspecs and disabled people. It could have been done better. BUT that doesn't mean the idea itself is bad!

With Viktor specifically, I totally get why some people don't want him to be ace, and they're welcome to have other headcanons, I will never begrudge someone that. But the problem starts when I tell someone I like him being ace because I see myself even more in him (I was also starting to use a cane around the time I watched the show, and seeing him made me so much more comfortable using it), and they tell me that it's inherently offensive. Because it's not actually, otherwise so is my existence. You don't have to agree or see him as ace, but please do not invalidate my identity and experiences.

I saw a post that made me think.

Why do people say it's ableist for disabled characters to have aromantic or asexual identity in headcanons or canon? It's seriously weird how people are mad at stuff like that. Having an identity like that is not a bad thing.

I'm asexual, autistic and physically disabled. Is it ableist that I exist like that? I like headcanoning characters who are autistic coded as asexual because it makes me happy because they are like me in my head.

I have seen people online be mad at others for headcanoning a disabled character or autistic coded to have an aromantic or asexual identity. People even get mad at disabled people who share those identities for headcanoning like that. I don't know what is up with that.

Some people seem to be mad only because they think things like an aromantic or asexual identity implies that the character that is disabled will not want things like being intimate, but that is not true. It is up to the person who has that identity, they can choose to be intimate or not intimate. Things like that confuse me. Like how people talk about Viktor from arcane.

I like Viktor, I am happy he is asexual canonically. It means he can still have a relationship with Jayce hypothetically, though. His asexuality is valid no matter what way he is portrayed.

Viktor is my favorite character. Seeing Viktor in Arcane made me feel better about using a cane when my health got worse, I felt internalized ableism at that time. Seeing a depiction of someone who is like me in a way helped me. Learning he is asexual made me happier too because he is also like me in that way, too.

Asexuality is defined as experiencing no sexual feelings or desires; not feeling sexual attraction to anyone. And I think it should be fine for Viktor to be like that and it should be fine for everyone who feels that way.

Let people on the aro/ace spectrum be who they are, disabled people can be like that and still have intimate relationships. And let people headcanon whatever they want as long as they're not harming people.

And that is my thoughts on that. I hope I wrote that in an accurate way. I just feel confused about that topic. People are so hard to understand.

[Disclaimer, obviously not all people think the how I described about asexuality. Some people are fine with disabled characters having an aromantic or asexual identity. And when I say aromantic or asexual identity, I am referring to the whole spectrum of those identities.]

Sure, I might not be as healthy as some people, but can they do this? *stands up and passes out*

Doctors are like: ughhhhh. You're confusing. Come back if you die

This ⬆️

Doctor Beverly Crusher @SpaceDocMom You're allowed to be angry at your disabilities and/or illnesses. You don't have to be, but you're allowed to be. Never let anybody police your emotions about your health. I'm here for you to support however you feel about all of it in any given moment. emojis: black heart, blue heart, masked 1:10 PM · Sep 4, 2023

Ever since I first saw Endgame, I recognized the depth in Thor's story that maybe some who don't battle mental (or chronic) illness wouldn't. No matter what you're dealing with, or how much you struggle: You are still worthy. Nice to see a counselor agrees with me: https://www.whereyouarecounseling.com/blog/2019/9/13/what-thor-taught-us-about-depression-and-self-worth #youareworthy #depression #chronicillness #chronicillnessmemes #depressionmemesarethebest https://www.instagram.com/p/CKRL22vBwDEWYZ0d8izUOWwSuc6fQSCNkYB8R80/?igshid=1e74ihz7w0g4i

My experience with my autoimmune disease. Quite literally what my first doctor’s medical opinion was.

“Hmm your body is still eating itself, that’s not great. Anyway come back in 6 months 👍”

Doctors are like: ughhhhh. You're confusing. Come back if you die