Screw It, I'm Puttin' Shorts On

Crippie has oodles of things to discuss with y'all!

First and foremost, Crippie hopes everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day weekend. While we are enjoying our time off, let us take a moment to remember everyone who gave their lives for this country. May they rest in peace. 

The Mama Pig Update - Mama is continuing to stabilize. She had two whole days without monitoring! I monitored her for about 2 hours today, she wasn't gassy at all and she was able to poop. She's not completely recovered yet, and I'll probably take her for a drive tomorrow to really get the gears going. Crippie cannot even begin to tell you guys how relieved I am that she is improving. When she first got sick I thought I was gonna lose her. It's been a rough couple of weeks with her, but all the work and worrying seems to have paid off. Crippie really can't say this enough, pigs are hard work. If I hadn't done anything to help Mama she wouldn't be here now. 

Next, it has come to my attention that I am probably offending a bunch of people by calling people without disabilities "Normals". To the readers who are offended... I'm sorry if I am offending you, but I just as I use the word "cripple" I mean no harm. I like to think of it like Harry Potter. There are people who possess magical powers (witches and wizards) and people who do not possess magical powers (muggles). It is easier to say "muggle" versus "people who do have magic powers". Yes, Crippie is well aware that just because a person is not disabled that doesn't mean they are normal and that their lives are full of sunshine are unicorns. I know that there is no such thing as a normal person and that everyone is messed up in some way or another. But for the purposes of this blog, which mainly pertains to disability it makes sense to classify people who have disabilities and people who don't.

I call people without disabilities "Normals" simply because I couldn't find a better word for 'em. Believe me I thought about it. Crippie thought about "Healthy" but that didn't really make sense. "Able-bodied" was also in the maybe pile, but that sounded like I was excluding people with mental illnesses. Someone jokingly said I should call 'em "Bloods" but that would have been reaaaaaaalllllyyyy racist and offensive. If anyone can come up with a better name please let me know. I'd love to see what y'all come up with. 

Moving on, I don't know about you guys, but it was really freakin' hot today. So hot that Crippie needed to wear shorts. Why is that such a big deal? Because my legs aren't exactly my best asset and I don't particularly care for exposing them. Crippie's general approach to clothing would be to highlight the assets and minimize the less awesome parts of you. Anything above the knee tends to make the imperfections in my legs more obvious, so I usually stick to knee length skirts and shorts. I'm  not saying "OMG my legs are sooooooo ugly and deformed I hate them", but everyone has a not so awesome "problem area" and mine is my legs. But the today's heat called for above the knee shorts. So Crippie put on her big girl panties, and then put on her only pair of above the knee shorts. I must say, it felt kinda liberating. Sure, my legs are still not awesome, but I really do not give a crap! Crippie will always notice and focus on the problems with my legs, but most normals don't see anything wrong with 'em... well... except for the giant scar running down my leg, but I think of that as a conversation piece. To prove my point, here's Crippie's leggies... and yes, for Crippie those are really short shorts (modesty is the best policy!)

My conversation piece, it's won several scar wars

My leggies

Left leg, showin' off three of my surgical sites. 

I thought I had mosquito bites on my leg, turns out they are tumors on my ankle, SWEET! 

See, even though I see a lotta things wrong with my legs I can recognize that they're not terrible. Who knows, maybe I'll wear a skirt without tights to work this week! SCANDALOUS! 

Random, I finally saw "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo". Crippie loved it, especially the opening graphics, sooooooooooo shnazzzzzzy.

Crippie's Tippie - Chances are your body doesn't suck as much as you think it does

Crippie Says The Darndest Things!

Ohaiiiiiii

The Mama Pig Update - It was another off night for Mama Pig. I took her out for monitoring and she was gassy and not pooping again. I did the toothbrush massages and forced her to wee a little and eventually she pooped. While I was massaging Mama I noticed that she is experiencing some hair loss on her sides. I went on the internet to see what in the hell was going on and I didn't get any clear answers. Generally speaking hair loss on a female guinea pig's sides screams Ovarian Cysts. The thing is she doesn't display any other symptoms of ovarian cysts... at all. Crippie will continue to observe her to see if I notice any of the other symptoms of cysts. I really hope she doesn't have cysts, they have nothing to do with her current issues. My gut is telling me that Mama Pig is pulling the hair out because her tummy hurts. Crippie is gonna change her game plan a little... I'm gonna stop using the toothbrush as a precaution (I dunno if it could rupture a cyst) and will switch to letting Mama Pig ride on top of the washing machine (a gentler less concentrated vibration). I'm also gonna obtain that baby probiotic and start Mama on that.

Nooooooowwww, about that whole Crippie Rant last night... Crippie has a clearer head today, I do regret how certain things came out and I'm so sorry if I offended anyone. "Normals" complaining about trivial things has to be my number one pet peeve, and I guess seeing an overload of whining from a bunch of people kinda sent me over the edge. But overall, Crippie doesn't regret it. I felt like it had to be said. And if anyone is wondering Crippie and her friend had a dandy talk about everything and we totally patched everything up, so in that regard I'm really glad I had that little rant. But in all seriousness, Crippie thinks that people (no one in particular) need to stop focusing on how much their lives suck and instead focus on the positives. The positives might be harder to spot sometimes, but they without a doubt exist.

Since the blog has kinda taken a "cripples vs. normals" turn for the past few days, I figured I'd answer a related Crippie Question. "Why do you take offense to people calling you an inspiration? Last time I checked that was a compliment". Alright, here's the deal... it's not that us cripples find it offensive, it's just annoying as all hell when people say it insincerely or when they say something like "OMG you're disabled but you drive to work every day, you're such an inspiration". It kinda feels like we're being called inspirational solely because we're disabled. It's like saying "OMG you were a Jew in the 1940's in Europe, you're such an inspiration". It feels like an empty, meaningless statement... especially if you hear it over and over and over and over. That being said, if the cripple actually did something worth the compliment, it is seen as a such. People have said called me inspirational because of this blog and I don't see that as an insult at all... I'm actually doing something (blogging) and I'm relating it to my disability so the two things are related. BTW, thanks to all my "Crippled Comrades" who have had said those things about me... sorry if recent posts have made it seem like I didn't appreciate that.

So in MRI news... BOTH OF MY MRI'S HAVE FINALLY BEEN APPROVED!!! Now on to the next mini-battle, finding a hospital that can do them! Recently a shiny new hospital was built near Crippie so naturally we thought they would be able to handle my MRI but apparently they only do knee and back stuff. I'm still really confused about their inability to do my MRI... I thought all I had to do was sit in the damn machine. Oh well, we found another hospital that I can get the MRI done at, we just need to have the address changed with all the insurance stuff. Me thinks that this issue will be solved tomorrow (later today, whatever). Once that issue is settled it looks like I'll be able to schedule my MRI for Friday. If that's the case expect a lot of Rebecca Black parodies.

Crippie watched the final episode of House today. I must say, it was hard to watch one of my favorite TV characters go. I'm soooooooooooo glad that they ended on a high note instead of killing people just for the sake of killing people. What do y'all think? Crippie now eagerly awaits for a new show that focuses on someone with a disability *HINT HINT PRODUCERS*

Crippie's Tippie - If you're gonna call a cripple an inspiration, have an actual inspiring reason to do so

The Hunchback of Notre Lame

Bonjour!

I sincerely hope all of my wonderful readers are enjoying their weekends. Thus far mine has been pretty good. I saw a local children's production of "Godspell" that was rather adorable and tomorrow my friend is gonna come over for pizza and a movie.
Speaking of movies, for the past couple of days Crippie has been trying to think of any recent movies that are actually offensive to the disabled community. Crippie could think of plenty of movies that have used the word "Retard" or "Cripple"... but they're all intentionally offensive. It took a while and Crippie had to redefine "recent" but she found one... Disney's 1996 classic "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"! Why is it offensive? Prepare for the Crippie Rant!

<CrippieRant>
Okay, the cripple is considered a monster and is forced to live in a tower, I get it. That's not the problem. Let's think back to every Disney movie that involves a romantic interest, how many of them end up together? Hmmm... oh yeah... EVERYONE EXCEPT THE CRIPPLE! Poor Quasimodo loves Esmerelda but noooooooooooooooo he gets friend-zoned while she falls for the "hunk" Phoebus. It's not like Quasimodo saves Esmerelda's ass on countless occasions or pulls her off a burning stake or anything... oh wait... HE DID. Did him not getting the girl he pulled off a flaming stake help the story or prove a point? Yeah, it sure does prove a point... it doesn't matter how heroic you are... if you are horribly disfigured you will never get the girl! 
While yes, Quasimodo eventualllllllllyyyyyyyy finds love in the horribly contrived sequel, it had nothing to do with the original plot and I think it was their way of saying "fine... the Cripple can get a girl too, she's from a Circus. There. Happy?" The only thing I can say in the movie's defense is that the soundtrack was awesome... almost Broadway like.
</CrippleRant>

So there ya have it folks! That's probably the only recent film that has offended Crippie. What do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Did you forget that movie even existed?

In unrelated guinea pig news, my prior post on piggie introductions was featured HERE, with a lovely picture of Mama Pig. Mama Pig is beyond flattered.

Crippie's Tippie - Wanna see a good Disney movie that deals with disabilities? Go find Nemo ;)

Crippie Plays "IS IT OFFENSIVE"

Aloha! 

Believe it or not, today's greeting is actually related to the topic I intend on discussing! Shocking... I know. Anywhoooo Crippie came across some free some on Thursday so my mom, grandma, and I went to see "The Descendants". Crippie lurvs her some Oscar nominated films, especially potentially offensive Oscar films!

As mentioned in a prior blog post, I'm not particularly comfortable with the word "retard" in most contexts. There was a scene in the movie where the r-word was dropped and some potentially hurtful things about mentally challenged people. 

Crippie understands why people might find that particular scene offensive. Out of context the scene is reaaaaaaaaaalllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy hurtful to people with mental disabilities, BUT if you look at the scene in context the viewer would see that it is intentionally offensive. Why did the writer do that? My guess is that they wanted this specific character to seem like a totally dick. They wanted the viewers to feel the same hatred that George Clooney's character was feeling. Thus, Crippie does not find this film offensive at all. Crippie really enjoyed the film actually, it deserves every award it wins. 

The trick with movies is that there might be parts of them that are technically "offensive" and are by no means politically correct... but they are in the movie for a reason. Whether it be to prove a point, develop a character, or to be soooooo offensive that it becomes funny, etc. When Crippie sees films that are intentionally offensive she is not offended. Crippie has not seen any recent films that she finds offensive, there are older movies where people play stereotypical "retarded" people that serve no purpose to the film. those are movies are kinda offensive. So what do you guys think? Are there any movies that you find offensive to cripples? 

In unrelated guinea pig news, it took a few days but all the piggies in the big cage are getting along. Nellie and Frida and becoming fast friends. They absolutely love their new cage and all their new toys (and by new toys I mean toys they haven't seen in a few days). I am beyond thrilled with how that situation turned out. 

Crippie's Tippie - If movies like "The Descendants" horribly offend you, try to look at the bigger picture and think why they did it.

Cripple vs. Retard

Yo!

Today I'm gonna answer a question that I've been asked a few times, especially since starting this blog. Clearly I'm very comfortable with using the word 'cripple', but what about the word 'retard'?
This is probably gonna sound really hypocritical, but I do NOT approve of using that word. While both might seem very similar they are actually rather different. The word cripple literally means "disabled", the word retard literally means "slow" or "delayed". The terms start to differentiate here because over the past several years the word retard has come to mean "stupid" and now has a very negative connotation, but the term can still be used to describe a person with a developmental disability. This is why I don't use the word retard, because people with developmental delays are NOT stupid, I will not use a word that implies that.
I hope that's a clear enough explanation. The only other way I could prove my point would be to provide an example. Take the name of this blog for example, if this blog was named "Retard's Room" or "Tard-ie Time" what would think this blog was about? While the word cripple is considered offensive to some people, I do not put it on the same level as retard.

Crippie's Tippie- Don't call people retards, or gay for that matter. In this age of bullying and being cruel to one another how's about we try being nice to one another!