totally-sick-blogger

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This is your friendly reminder that your mobility aids don’t ruin your outfit !!

#chronic illness #disability #disabled #chronicillnessawareness #disabled community #spoonie #totally sick blog #accessibility #actually autistic #fashion

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My favourite disabled characters in media

The other day I made a post about how important disability representation is and today I'm giving you guys a list of my favourite disabled characters from tv shows!

Quinnie Gallagher-Jones (Heartbreak High) - Autism

Felix (Heartstopper S2) - Wheelchair user + has a feeding tube

Tina Belcher (Bob's Burgers) - Autism (This is technically a headcanon but also not so I'll be making a post soon going into more detail about this)

Twyla boogieman (Monster high G3) - Autism

Ghoulia Yelps (Monster high G1) - Scoliosis

There's a ton more that I could talk about but these are my personal favourites. I'll be making an in depth post about the representation in Bob's Burgers as many of the characters in that show are extremely Neurodivergent. I'll also be making a post about the representation in Monster High because it has a ton of representation of all different kinds of disabilities (and it's my special interest)

Goodbye lovies <3

#chronic illness #disability #disabled #chronicillnessawareness #disabled community #spoonie #totally sick blog #accessibility #autism #actually autistic #disability representation #disabled characters #bobs burgers #heartbreak high #monster high #heartstopper

[totally-sick-blogger]

ALL EYES ON RAFAH. WE WILL NOT FORGIVE. WE WILL NOT FORGET.

This design is free to redistribute and repost. Download here.

[totally-sick-blogger]

A brain dump about disability representation

Hi lovies! I intend to do 2 or 3 more well thought out posts about this subject but this is just a general dump of things that I've been thinking about today relating to disability representation.

I was having a conversation about representation (specifically geared towards children but this applies to all ages) and how it's importants not only for other people to see positive representation of people that are different from them but also so that the disabled kids can also see themselves positively represented.

When I think about this in terms of my own expiriences as a disabled kid, especially in school I defenitly think that if we were shown more books, shows, movies, etc that had disabled characters it would saved me years of answering odd, uncomfortable, and usually rude questions from other kids in my class. I also think that seeing myself represented would have made me feel more "normal" and be neutral about being different from other kids in my school. It wasn't until recent years that I started feeling okay with and even positively about being different and I'm so happy that we are finally *starting* to be represented in media and I'm also so so glad that I get to be that representation for the kids that I work with.

That's all for today's brain dump! I'm thinking of probably doing a post about my favourite disabled characters in media and 2 deep dives about the representation in specific shows.

#chronic illness #disability #disabled #chronicillnessawareness #disabled community #spoonie #totally sick blog #accessibility #autism #representation #disability representation #disabledcreator #actually disabled #disabled characters

[totally-sick-blogger]

5 low energy activities for when you're feeling too unwell to get up but don't want to be on your phone.

Hi lovies!

I think that the title pretty much explains it. Still, I wanted to share 5 low-energy activities today because I know it can be really hard to find something to do when you're not feeling well but you've already been scrolling on your phone for hours. All of these are things that you can do from your bed, the couch, etc. and they are all very affordable!

Tip: If you're doing these in your bed (or somewhere else that doesn't have a good flat surface) you can use a cookie sheet/baking tray. If you don't already own a cookie sheet you can find them for really cheap at the dollar store or a second-hand store

colouring - this one is probably pretty obvious but I think it's a good one because it's pretty customizable. You can buy a colouring book from the dollar store or amazon or Walmart or wherever else. you could even find free printable colouring pages online. the same thing applies to markers/crayons etc. you probably already have some and if not you can get super cheap ones or super fancy ones.

2. crossword puzzles/word searches - I know these aren't for everyone but I love them and they're another thing that you can find paper copies of or online and you can buy a book of them or print them out yourself.

3. reading - This is another one that has lots of options for different price ranges and affordability. you can buy new books, or used books, borrow from a library, or do audiobooks or Ebooks instead. I know that some libraries have apps you can download with Ebooks and audiobooks that you can borrow as long as you have a library card.

4. bead crafts - I love making things with beads (particularly bracelets) because it's, easy, and requires no brain power. I'd also like to mention that if you have poor dexterity or fine motor skills (or want avoid eye strain) I recommend using pipe cleaners instead of string and using larger beads that are easier to pick up.

5. card games - If you have a friend, family member, or caregiver around you can play card games! they're fun, easy, you can do it laying down and there's tons of different games out there.

Bonus

6. This is bonus activity because it takes a bit more energy than the others but I always recommend finding a video essay or documentary on an interesting topic and taking notes and doing a deep dive on the subject!

that's all for today lovies, as always I hope this helps at least one person!

#chronic illness #disability #disabled #chronicillnessawareness #disabled community #spoonie #totally sick blog #accessibility #flare up #thingstodowhenyourebored

[totally-sick-blogger]

Girl meets autism???

It’s the middle of the night and I can’t sleep and I need to talk about this.

So lately I’ve been rewatching girl meets world and by “rewatching” I mean I let it play on my laptop at night when I’m falling asleep so really I’m not actually watching a whole lot of it. But I’ve just remembered the autism episode and need to to talk about it because it was so….I don’t even know what words to use here if I’m being honest so I’m just going to go point by point.

Why did they act like it something that they needed to cure??? That part catches me off guard every time; especially when Maya GRABS HIS ARM AND TRIED TO PULL HIM TOWARDS THE DOOR. Like did she think that they were gonna go to pharmacy and get antibiotics to cure is autism or something??

Why were they so shocked that he had autism. Like it was really obvious to me from the very beginning. So the way they were all like “but you can’t be autistic???? You’re just quirky???” And when Maya was like “let’s tell them you’re not” I think that part is funny in an ironic way because usually it’s the other way around when someone says “you can’t be autistic because you don’t *insert autism stereotype here*” whereas from my perspective, farkle is the most classically autistic teen boy that is portrayed in the media.

Do you guys remember that one tiktok audio that was like “I’m not autistic! I’m just a bit silly! And I cry when my socks are right…but that’s unrelated” I feel like that basically sums up the dialogue of this episode

They were ALL losing their marbles over farkle being autistic which made no sense to me because from my perspective Riley is definitely also autistic but it presents in her very differently than it presents in farkle and I always found them both to be very relatable. I’m a little bit confused about why they never made that connection especially after isadora told everyone that she’s also autistic and has been diagnosed for a long time.

On the topic of isadora- it made me so sad how she told farkle that she would accept him for who he was and that it was okay that he was autistic and she was so happy to finally have someone to relate to but then his friends somehow convinced him that he shouldn’t do that??? Like by the end of the episode they were all like “we think it’s okay that you’re autistic but just don’t act autistic” (this is paraphrased btw) which I’m pretty sure was meant to be them being accepting and open minded but really they were all being terrible friends.

Isadora was always the butt of the joke in every episode she was in and they were always so rude to her for no reason and I feel like they often went out of their way to single her out and this got worse in a way after the autism episode. Like generally speaking they were always so ableist towards her and I would probably classify their attitude towards her as bullying because they didn’t really ever have any actual reason to hate her.

I also would like to note real quick that in the show they used the word Asperger’s instead of autism during most of the episode but I’m saying autism because Asperger’s is outdated and also named after a….very bad guy… Also I feel like there probably weren’t any autistic people consulted on the making of this episode.

Okay I think that’s all of my points for now. If you want a more detailed, better version of this post you should all go check out Lulaloopsy’s video on YouTube. (I will try to link it here -> )

#disability #disabled #chronic illness #chronicillnessawareness #disabled community #spoonie #totally sick blog #accessibility #actually autistic #autism #girl meets world #ableism #disney channel #boy meets world #neurodivergent #neurodiversity #autism acceptance #Youtube

[totally-sick-blogger]

Low energy/low prep snack and meal ideas

I've been thinking a lot the last few days about how difficult it can be to find the energy to make food when you're having high symptoms or low energy so I thought I'd make and share a list of snack and meal ideas that require minimal preparations.

You can make one serving of these things when you're hungry or most of them are also great to prepare in advance on a day when you're feeling really good or when you can have a friend, family member, or caregiver help you out. Snacks

dried fruits

precut veggies and dip

trail mix

popcorn

apples with cinnamon

cheese and crackers

pretzels and peanut butter

crackers and hummus

yogurt and berries (greek yogurt has lots of protein)

pickles

peanut butter on toast

guacamole and tortilla chips (guac can be homemade or store bought)

Meals

Cheese quesadilla (this obviously is not authentic lol)

boiled eggs

ramen (neither is this. I’m talking mr noodles. Not the real thing)

avocado toast

canned soup

rice (can be mixed with eggs or veggies or whatever else)

I hope these were helpful and as always leave any other suggestions in the comments

Love u all <3

#chronic illness #disability #disabled #chronicillnessawareness #disabled community #spoonie #totally sick blog #food #cooking tips #meal prep #accessibility

[totally-sick-blogger]

How to make an at home med cart (a step by step tutorial - sort of)

Good afternoon lovely people ! Todays blog is all about my med cart and how I set mine up! Hope this helps :)

Step 1. Find a cart/storage area. For mine I used the same kind of Rubbermaid storage cart as I used for my flare up cart. I keep my cart in our laundry room/pantry area which sounds odd but it’s the most accessible option for me.

Step 2. Decided what needs to go in your cart. Mine has medications, supplies, extra bottles of formula, etc.

Step 3. Fill up your drawers, shelves, or whatever else applies here. For this part I’ll give a list of everything I keep in each drawer

Drawer 1. My non daily medications, creams, Vaseline, gauze, medical tape, a few small syringes, Cotton swabs and Q tips

Drawer 2. The rest of my syringes, the little pointy end pieces that connect the syringe to my Gtube adaptor, the adaptors in question

Drawer 3. Gravity feeding bags, and sometimes formula

I also keep a small container in our medicine cabinet with two small syringes, one large 60ml syringe, one adapter and all of my daily medications in it for easy access and for going places.

Step 4. Decorate!! This is completely option I just really love stickers and put absolutely everywhere I possibly can but again, that’s optional.

Okay, that’s all for today. Luv you all and I hope this was helpful to someone and you have a wonderful day <3

#chronic illness #disability #disabled #chronicillnessawareness #disabled community #spoonie #totally sick blog #medcart #diy #diy projects #accessibility

[totally-sick-blogger]

Rating random fidget/stim toys out of 10

- tangles 5/10 - they’re fun but when they come apart I can never get them back together

- wacky tracks 10/10 - everything I love about tangles but without the things I hate

- large pop-its 7/10 - it depends on the shape tbh

- small pop-its 8.5/10 - they’re not my preferred fidget toy but I still really like them!! Especially the ones that only have 1 or 2 bubbles on them

- mochi animal thingies 7/10 - they’re very fun to play with and very easy to travel with but they make your hands smell weird and I don’t enjoy that.

- plastic rainbow wiggly slugs 8/10 - they’re kinda big which makes them harder to travel with but otherwise I have no notes.

- foam stress balls 5.5/10 - they’re always either fantastic or hard as a rock with no in between

- filled stress balls 2/10 - I have a love/hate relationship with these because they’re so fun to play with but they nearly always end up exploding.

- literally anything made out of that sticky rubber material 0/10 - I have no explanation I just hate these

- floam 10/10 - I am the number one floam fan

- play dough 7.5/10 - I like playing with it but I wish it didn’t smell as strong

- kinetic sand 5.5/10 - I have love/hate relationship with it and I can’t explain why

- bubble rap 7.5/10 - the og stim toy. But also it’s so loud and I don’t love that.

This was not nearly as helpful or well thought out as my usual posts but I hope you were at least entertained by it <3

Let me know your favourite stim toys in the comments !!!

#disability #disabled #disabled community #spoonie #autism #adhd #actually autistic #actually adhd #audhd #fidget toys #stim toys #totally sick blog #totally sick blogger #chronicillnessawareness #chronic illness #chronic illness community #osemanverse #neurodivergent #neurodiversity

[totally-sick-blogger]

ibuprofen is my pookie ♡

[totally-sick-blogger]

I don't understand the non-disabled view on needing supports

This is pretty much just me dumping out my thoughts about the non-disabled view of needing support into a few semi-organized paragraphs!

When I was a kid I had an IEP which was rarely actually followed but on the rare occasion that it was, the other kids in my class would get mad that I was receiving "special treatment" as well as looking down upon me for needing to have those accommodations. I could not and still do not understand this mentality.

Society has this weird obsession with independence and I've always thought it was strange. why are we putting people down and viewing them as lesser humans because they require support? I'd be very willing to say that this idea is likely rooted in white supremacy because many non-white cultures heavily value the idea of community and everyone helping each other. In fact, society would, in my opinion, overall be a better place if more people valued community and mutual aid.

A common thing I hear from non-disabled people is "Well it's not fair that you have this support and I don't" and they're right. Lots of people need help with lots of things like school, going to appointments, managing money, etc. and that is okay! Accessibility and accommodations benefit everyone, not just disabled people; so why aren't these supports offered to everyone? I'm sure there are lots of seemingly "self-sufficient" people who could benefit from having help and that's okay.

Circling back to the idea of people viewing needing help as a negative thing; I do not understand that either. Why do we think people are "bad" or "weak" or "lazy" for needing help? I think it's great to need help because admitting that you do need help and advocating to receive help is a very brave thing to do because a lot of people are very judgmental about it.

Community is also a great way to give/receive support. For example, if you are really great at cooking but have a really hard time with money management and you have a friend who's the opposite why don't you do these things for each other. Ex: you can cook them dinner sometimes and they can help you figure out how to budget?

In conclusion, I think needing help is just fine and everyone should have access to the support/accommodations that they need/want. (This would of course start with disabled people of all levels having access to their required supports which many of us still can't access)

As always have a lovely day/night and leave your own thoughts in the comments <3

#chronic illness #disability #spoonie #disabled #disability support #disabled community #community aid #totally sick blog

[totally-sick-blogger]

Can’t believe this conversation is still going on but calling disabled people specially-abled isn’t as inclusive as y’all seem to think it is. It’s actively ignoring the struggles that we face everyday and hand waving it away. We actually suffer and most if not all of us would rather just prefer to be able bodied because being disabled fucking sucks and there’s nothing special about it. Yeah, I’m adhd makes me creative, but it also gives me executive dysfunction so severe that sometimes I do not get out of bed for days on end, not showering or brushing my teeth or eating or doing anything. And that entire aspect of my disability is ignored. And god forbid if you have a less than palatable disability or an invisible one because then you’re either fucking disgusting or just faking it and need to try harder. Where’s your support then, when people are actually struggling? Is it gone now that it’s not aesthetic anymore and actually debilitating to a person’s life? Does it make your feel fucking scared and guilty? Where’s your fucking support now?

[totally-sick-blogger]

How to make a flare-up cart for your bedroom (A step-by-step guide)

As the title suggests, today's blog post will be a more in-depth post about the snack/medical cart I mentioned in my latest post about flare-up tips.

step 1: get cart/storage bin - I personally use one of those white Rubbermaid drawer sets with the 3 clear drawers. There are different widths and mine is the skinnier one but which size you use would depend on what you're putting in it. If the Rubbermaid drawers aren't your preferred or most accessible option you could also use a tiered craft cart, a plastic bin, shelves, or whatever else you want!

step 2: decide what's going into your setup. I'm going to explain this next part using the 3 drawer set up but you can tailor it to your own needs.

Drawer 1: My first drawer is dedicated mainly to medical things such as inhalers, medical tape, gauze, vaseline, and Tylenol. I also keep lip balm and extra masks in there just because they're nice to have.

The majority of my more "important" medical supplies like tubing and daily meds are upstairs in my medical cart which I will likely make a dedicated post to go more in-depth about it.

Drawer 2: For my second drawer I filled it with easy snacks and safe foods. for me, that's things like granola bars, goldfish crackers, teddy grahams, apple sauce pouches, rice chips, rice Krispie cake squares, and sometimes juice boxes. Of course, you can add whatever you want but those are just some ideas. If you have access to a mini fridge you could also add things like precut fruits or cheese sticks (personally I do not)

Bonus tip - if you're 100% tube-fed you could fill the snack drawer with formula

Drawer 3:

My third drawer used to have formula in it, however, I moved the formula so now it's full of beads and string because I find making bracelets to be a really easy low-energy activity for when I'm feeling too unwell to leave my room but don't want to stare at my phone all day.

step 3: find a good spot to keep your set up. mine is in my bedroom because that was the most accessible option for me but if you would rather put yours somewhere else like the living room you totally can; and remember that everything about this setup is 100% customizable to your needs.

As always I hope this helps at least one person and feel free to leave your own suggestions in the comments <3

#chronic illness #disability #disabled #chronicillnessawareness #acessibility #lifestyle #disabled community #disabledcreator

[totally-sick-blogger]

Tips for making flare-ups less awful

I thought that for my first attempt at making a real blog post I'd share some things that I find helpful for making my flare-ups less awful.

I'd also like to quickly say that every person is different and something that I find really helpful might be completely unhelpful which is completely okay! In the spirit of building community, everyone please feel free to share their own "tips" in the comments :)

with that being said, let's get into the list

keeping a drawer of easy-to-grab snacks and/or safe foods in my bedroom (I will likely go into this more in a future post)

keeping any medications/supplies nearby (ie: lip balm, tube feeding stuff, barf bags etc)

download easy/mindless games on your devices. personally I'm a big fan of subway surfers, the sims freeplay, and sandbox

Don't try to combat it. I know it's hard a lot of time to actually slow down and take a break but ultimately it will make the flare up much worse if you keep doing stuff anyways (I should really take my own advice)

make a list of every task you need to complete over the next few days and decide which ones are managable or urgent, which ones can wait, and which ones can be completed with support from others

Finally, don't be afraid to ask for help. I know it's very difficult to ask for help and not feel like a burden but if the people around you really love and care about you they won't be bothered by you asking them for help. For example, if you're having debilitating pain for days at a time but you have no clean clothes left, you do NOT need to force yourself to do laundry or any other task that will worsen your condition and you are not weak or lazy for asking a friend or family member to come help you do laundry, or dishes, or cook a meal, etc.

I hope this helped someone out and that everyone has a lovely day with minimal symptoms <3

#disability #actually disabled #disabled #flare up #chronicillnessawareness #chronic illness #chronicpain #totally-sick-blog

[totally-sick-blogger]

yknow i never noticed the sheer rareness of images having ids or alt text on this website until i started adding alt text to my art (and trying to remember to add it to any images i post in general, especially text screenshots) and that makes me kinda sad

[totally-sick-blogger]

Intro

Hi everyone!

I started this blog because I wanted a way that I could share my experiences/life as a disabled person. This idea started as an art project (I was making a zine that was meant to be spoof of those silly teen magazines but it was meant for disabled people) but then I decided that having a blog would also be cool so here we are! Anyways, here's some info about me:

I'm 18 and I've been disabled and chronically ill my whole life

I've had feeding tubes on and off throughout my life

I'm physically disabled and neurodivergent

my hobbies are reading, doing crafts, and now blogging

I spend a lot of time doing advocacy for disabled people in my local community

I'm queer but not sure of what variety and my pronouns are she/they

Likes:

Accessibility/disability inclusion

stickers

making playlists

Chappell Roan

Monster High (my special interest since I was 6)

Heartstopper & Bob's burgers (my other special interests)

Wallows

Dislikes:

ableism

bigotry in general

vegetables

birds

math

#disability #disabled #chronic illness #chronically ill #chronicillnessawareness #lgbtqia #blogging #totally-sick-blogger