Assistive Animals
There are three main types of assistive animals: therapy animals, service dogs (occasionally miniature horses), and emotional support animals.
Ask Aunt Lori - Limerence vs Love
Dear Aunt Lori,
Can you help us understand the difference between limerence and love when you're on the spectrum?
Catching Feelings
September 11
TW: terrorism, 9/11, violence, death
I'm six years old and sitting at my desk in my first grade classroom. We were learning about nouns and adjectives, but the teacher next door comes in and whispers something to Mrs. King. She pauses and brings in one of the TV carts.
Autosomal Dominant Hypercalciuria
Simply put, autosomal dominant hypercalciuria is a rare genetic condition that causes the calcium receptors in the kidneys to take too much calcium out. This often causes the kidneys to leach calcium from the bones, leading to osteoporosis and osteopenia and hypercalciuria (high levels of calcium in the urine). This can cause recurring kidney stones, UTIs, and abnormal levels of calcium and other minerals in the body.
Ask Aunt Lori - Boundaries
Dear Aunt Lori,
My relationship with my family is very strained. I have no choice but to rely on them for some things, but I don't want them to keep hurting me. What do I do?
Wounded
ABLE accounts
With disabilities, the income and asset restrictions for SSI and Medicaid, it's usually impossible to save up for anything! I'm sure I'll discuss how outdated the caps are in a future post, but for now, I want to discuss something that many people - including those who qualify - don't know about: ABLE accounts.
Chronic SOS - September 1, 2023
Labor Day and the end of summer vacations is upon us. In the spirit of the season, the Chronic SOS Posts- as well as some other posts - will be work and school related. There are so many things to discuss and I look forward to writing about them.
Chronic SOS - August 29, 2023
It's another friend's birthday!
For this person's birthday, I've tried to find some unhinged goofy memes in order to honor the goofball they are.
New Rule: don't be ableist on TV
TW: ableism, hatred, ageism, fatphobia, ableist slurs - also directed to CHILDREN
New rule: hateful people get de-platformed.
Though Bill Maher mostly got famous for roasting Republicans, he's made sure that everyone knows he can be just as hateful as a conservative, while still being an atheist who likes weed.
Ask Aunt Lori - Disability Benefits
Note: this is about disability benefits in the United States
Dear Aunt Lori,
How do you apply for disability benefits? What do I need to have?
Applicant
Cooling Blanket Review
I'm very hot natured and sensitive to heat, and sometimes the bed sheet feels too hot to cover up with; but I still want something to cover up with. I saw some cooling blankets advertised online with good reviews, so I decided to try one.
Chronic SOS - August 23, 2023
To distract myself from the heat, I'll be sharing pictures and videos of autumn and winter landscapes.
My Skincare Collection
Over the years, I've tried many products and have found a few that I always keep around and use often as well as some that I use when I'm having a particularly rough time.
Chronic SOS - August 18, 2023
In order to pass the time and distract myself, I will often play games on the Nintendo Swtch.
So today, I'm going to share screenshots of the game that I've been playing a lot recently: House Flipper.
Elon Musk has an ableism problem
TW: Ableism, Aspie supremacy
Elon Musk, the richest man in the world with a staggering net worth of $238 billion, has as much money as he does controversy and problematic behaviors. Though there's no shortage of criticism I could give, I'd like to focus on his ableist views, behaviors, and remarks.
He got worse
TW: ableism, misogyny, mistreatment by healthcare providers
I reported Dr. Waters and provided a lot of evidence of my experience with him being… less than ideal. When you report a doctor, they have to respond with a letter and you receive a copy along with information on any actions they took/didn't take.
I received the letter.
Ask Aunt Lori - Grooming
TW abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, child abuse, grooming
Amid the Colleen Ballinger situation, we need to talk about what grooming is, how to spot it, what to do if you see it, and the tactics that groomers use to deflect allegations and downplay their actions. Knowing these things can help keep yourself and others safe.
Chronic SOS - August 8, 2023
I hate that I wasn't able to post during Disability Pride Month. I posted on Tumblr frequently and celebrated there - if you're a spoonie, I highly recommend joining Tumblr! There's a large online community of fellow spoonies there!
Let's look at some funny medical and spoonie tiktoks today:
Beginner's Guide to Supporting Chronically Ill Loved Ones
While there's often no clear answers and it varies depending on the individual, the condition, and so much more, but there are many things that are universally good to support your loved ones.
Chronic SOS - July 15, 2023
Happy birthday to a kickass advocate!