Splat Archives - Christina Irene

My Fibromyalgia: The 5 Stages of Diagnosis and What Went Wrong in My Medical Care

7 May

It started with some tenderness in two or three knuckles. A couple days later, my hands were definitely hurting and my elbows were sore. A couple days after that, I felt it in my shoulders, too. Then suddenly, my whole...
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Advance Information Checklist for People with Disabilities and Their Allies

24 Apr

One thing I love when I’m doing a presentation on disabilities is experiencing the volume of human kindness. There is always an atmosphere of “how can I help?” and this yields great questions during the Q&A portion at the end...
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Try a Smile Day

16 Apr

I know, I know. It’s tacky and cheesy. Most of us, if not all of us have heard that if you just force yourself to smile, you automatically feel better. I guess maybe it works a little bit. But a...
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4 Ways I Do It Anyway (When Pain and Fatigue Conspire Against Me)

20 Mar

Oh, springtime …. I’m seeing green of my lilies starting to reach out of the ground. Daily I marvel at the new growth on the rosebush I planted last year. And the weather is … all over the place. So...
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Invisible vs. Hidden: What to Call Our Disabilities?

4 Dec

A couple times in the past month, I’ve had conversation about the term “invisible disabilities” versus “hidden disabilities.” Which one do I use and why? Are they the same? I first used “invisible disability” because that’s the first way I...
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10 Travel Tips from the Disabled Duo

12 Nov

We love adventure, my old lady dog and I. This is most likely our last big one. You should see us in the mornings! I’m all sore and stiff with my arthritis and foggy from my fibro. She’s morning-delirious and...
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The Evolution of Splat’s Impact Map

24 Sep

Since I created the Splat system – by accident – about five years ago, the tools I use to make it work for me have certainly evolved. The original premise has remained unchanged. It’s catchy. My friends like it, whether...
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Pets with Disabilities: Learning from Each Other (+ PetSplat!!!)

12 Sep

Twelve days ago, my dog, Amica, and I had a very bad day. I found her in the morning, collapsed, having lost control of her bowels. I had to help her stand, but she couldn’t walk on her own, so...
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“Usual” Does Not Make It “OK”

17 Jun

I’ve had a bad stretch of bad days lately. One of my very least favorite symptoms of my chronic conditions, extreme stomach bloating, has had an excessive tenure this month. In addition, my fibromyalgia has been super active. Last weekend,...
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The 13 Things I Feel When I Cancel Our Plans Due to My Chronic Illness

5 Jun

Oh, the things we do with the English language, and being a creative with a degree in English, it often downright delights me. Some of our current linguistic trends, carried by the cool kids, include saying “feels” rather than “feelings”...
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