The Blogging Platypus

My experience in pursuing my disability approval has been one that has made me sink to one of the lowest moments in my life. After getting my first denial for disability, it gutted me. But, this second time, it crushed me, while at the same time, made me want to fight for all of the other people who have experienced the same or similar treatment by the powers that be. When the government says you aren’t disabled, but you have all of the doctor's notes, lab results, and hell, even a genetic test that revealed a mutation in my collagen that is associated with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, it becomes such a mindfuck. It is as if the government says you don’t have a right to be alive, since, in their view, I am just a lazy sack of crap who just chooses not to work. When, in reality, my body is slowly falling apart, my shoulders and hips pop out of place if I move sometimes, my core temperature drops often, with my hands being 60-70 degrees (about 20 degrees cooler than they should b...

The seasons are definitely a-changin, with the chill of Autumn filling the morning air and pumpkin puree has found its way into my homemade creamer. Coffee creamer that is worthy of (vegan) Uggs is possible any time of the year once you begin to make your own creamer. But, oh, does it taste so good on the cool mornings of late September. There is magic in the air, can you feel it? So, I am a green green witch, in that reading and learning about this side of life is relatively new to me and keeping up with the various rituals can be overwhelming, especially for a newbie like myself. Living with a chronic pain condition can also zap my ability to concentrate and remember things, as well as deplete my energy faster than a vampyre. I recommend taking a few sacred days to learn about a handful of events that fall on the wheel of the year and slowly incorporate some of the traditions that accompany the various dates of the year. One of the upcoming seasonal events is called Mabon, whic...

Sometimes, life seems like one thing after another. I realize that that is precisely what life is: one second, one hour, one day, one year, one decade...after another, but when the events that are hurled at you seem insurmountable, what else is there to do but say fuck it? Well, this year has felt like I am getting the karma intended for someone who stole my identity, only to conduct nefarious deeds. Over the past two years, I know that good and happy events have happened in our lives, but the challenges we have faced have been, well, quite challenging. We moved into a place that used to be a meth lab that wasn’t remediated correctly (or at all) and was already inhabited by invisible forces,  I was denied SSDI for my disabilities,  I have been unable to work on a regular basis,  Repeated visits to doctors out of state,  A few visits to the emergency room,  One of our cars had a mystery issue that ultimately resolved (after the new battery didn’t do m...

As stated in the United States Declaration of Independence, there are three rights that are referred to as unalienable, yet many who reside in this country don’t experience the benefits of these rights. The right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness often are pushed to the background, in favor of lobbyists who have their own interests in mind, rather than the individuals whose lives are affected by the choices that are made behind closed doors, often with money changing hands. In effect, this is blood money, particularly in regards to the National Rifle Association, or NRA, which is one of the most influential lobbyists. The NRA spends a tremendous amount of money in order to defend the right for citizens to own weapons of mass destruction, while also working to reduce gun regulations, even when it comes to assault weapons. I don’t think that the Founding Fathers had this level of carnage-capable weapons in mind when they drafted the Amendments. "The group spent a record ...

Illustration by Veronica Grech/For The Times) The relief that washes over you when you sink into a warm tub can be even more therapeutic! From beauty stores to big box superstores, there seems to be a plethora of bath accessories, including bath salts. No, not the kind that will make you want to eat the face off of your favorite person, but rather the kind that can help to relieve stress and feel your pain begin to become more manageable. There are just about as many bath products out there as there are cute doggos, and that’s a lot! Some of the things I look for in a bath soak is that it is cruelty-free, smells good, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. But if it did cost an arm and a leg, that would be fewer body parts that require a soaking! I jest, but it’s true. Sometimes I am limited by the products from which I get to select, as I can be a little picky at times. I know what I like. One of my favorite fragrances is the combination of spearmint and lemongrass. Everything in ...

To say that I have lived an interesting life in my 42 years would be a bit of an understatement. From graduating high school at age 16, earning my AA degree at 18, then spending 12 years in the military on active duty, followed by my BS and MS degrees, then to be hit with a handful of debilitating illnesses. I’ve seen a lot. I’ve heard a lot. I’ve been through some shit. All of that goes into who I am at any given moment. Our past most certainly influences our experience of the world around us. That’s what makes life interesting, as no two people have had the same experience of life. The diverse views held by society requires us to be more open minded than some are comfortable with, which can lead to the minds being closed. If we nurture compassion, empathy, and understanding, society as a whole may improve. Let’s put the human back into humanity. Okay, I’ll step off my soapbox now and get to today’s post. This game can be challenging, especially when you feel like you have lived s...

Living with chronic pain that is not adequately addressed by traditional pharmaceutical medications means that we often look to alternative treatments for relief. Aside from gentle stretching, doing the best I can with stress management (a perpetual struggle), and warm Epsom salt baths, I use cannabis to help me to have some semblance of life. For those who have not ventured into the world of cannabis, there are several different strains that can be helpful in mitigating the often debilitating pain that chronic pain patients experience, often on a daily basis. I like having a variety, as I use cannabis as my medicine cabinet, in a sense. Here in Colorado, where recreational cannabis is legal, there are several dispensaries in our area. Just avoid the touristy areas, because those often have higher prices, which do not necessarily mean that you are getting a better product. We typically pick up $5 grams, along with 10 pre-rolls, which typically lasts us two weeks or so. Medicine tha...