Animal Crossing - A disabled person's best friend

I've been a fan of Nintendo's Animal Crossing game series since its release on the N64 in 2001. I've recently fallen back in love with their phone app game called Animal Crossing Pocket Camp. But here's why the entire game series is so important to me as a disabled, creative, nature loving person. 

Firstly you have to understand that my reality is one of constant, chronic pain, limited mobility, foggy headedness, vertigo, crippling fatigue and other challenges. 100% the opposite to what this game offers me AND it's a great drug-free escape from pain. 

So let me break down the specifics of exactly what I love about Animal Crossing.

1: I can play with and visit my husband. He has an avatar in the game and even when he's in the other room (one bonus of quarantine) working I can visit him in his garden, his campsite anytime I want. Where else could we pop up side by side and go fishing together? Not the real world, that's for sure.

2: I make friends instantly. You literally go up to someone, ask if they'll be your friend and if they accept then your avatars are friends. You can help each other out and be rewarded by your friendships too! The more friends you have the easier the game (just like real life, but... EASIER!)

3: My entire town is there ready to be explored with the movement of my finger. No spoons required. Mining, walking on a beach, exploring an island, fishing under a waterfall... all right there! I also have a big campground that I can decorate, a two story camper that I can decorate and a two story cabin that... well... you get the idea, right? 

4: I can fish, literally walk barefoot, farm a perfect (weed-free) garden, build a library, dress my animal friends, plant and grow flowers, rearrange furniture. I can catch bugs or hear the sand squash under my feet. None of these things are possible for me in the real world, but I get a sense of joy and satisfaction out of doing it through my avatar and in game. 

5: I can express my creativity in new ways that I can't do in real life. For example, this is the bottom floor of my camper. It's a sewing room! I'd love to be a fashion designer in real life or at least sew all kinds of things for my home, myself and my family. But in the game I can at least have a cool fashion/sewing room full of colorful things.

For me this game isn't just a time filler, or brain suck like some people consider them to be. It fills an urge to go camp in nature, to just hang out with my "friends" and to build and create new things. These are things that are either very hard or impossible for me to do in the real world.

There is a new Animal Crossing game out for a system I don't own. I won't be getting it right now due to cost. For me this little pocket size world on my phone is the perfect outlet. 

Rest and Play

Last week my husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. Although we call ourselves the "Adventure Buddies" we were more than ready for some serious rest. We drove three hours from our home to the coast for some fresh air, good food and plenty of relaxation.

I fell in love with this swing on our patio, even though it made me a little dizzy. I think I need one at home now.

The hotel we stayed at, the Bernardus Lodge and Spa, had a beautiful garden, delicious restaurant and was completely wheelchair accessible. It was just what my body and soul needed.

I'm learning how to have "relaxing adventure" lately. Case in point, the hotel had a convertible car that we were able to "borrow" for a lovely coastal drive. It was a lot of fun, but an easier adventure on my body than say, a long beach walk, which is something we would have done instead in the past. 

Some "adventure" takes money, but other things I can find for free. Like this fun, organic farm stand we stumbled upon on our way home. They had a cute area for "kids" that I took full advantage of. I spent my muscle spoons for the afternoon getting in and out of this GIANT adirondack chair and it was totally worth it. I felt like such a kid!

For me play is just as important as rest. If I spend too much time just "adulting" I'm one unhappy lady. 

Of course one of my favorite ways to rest and re-charge is to snuggle with my sweet girl. 

My husband and I also "play" with (gasp) our friends! We belong to a local group of tiki lovers who are as child-like and playful as we are. We try to make time at least once a month to dress up and hang out with our buddies. 

Life is a balance and I'm still trying my best to find the perfect mix of work, rest and play. 

(** I received no reimbursement for my mention of Bernardus Lodge and Spa. But if they'd like to hook me up in the future, that would be dandy!)

Swimming in the deep end of life

I love the Ocean. I always have. When I was a little girl I used to spend all day every day every summer swimming and pretending I was either a mermaid or a shark. I love them both equally. The more my arms and legs stopped working the more my love for mermaids grew. I liked to think that I was just a land-locked mermaid and not a disabled woman. Isn't that thought more fun?

Last weekend my husband took me to the "Bubble Ball" at a mermaid convention in our town. Who even knew there was such a thing? You had to come dressed as either a mermaid or a pirate. I was thinking "What's there to do at a 'ball' in a wheelchair?" Turns out tons of stuff!

Me being me I had to dress as a "Princess, mermaid, fairy, shark" and not just a mermaid. "Where's the shark?" You might be thinking? I have 5 gills on my neck. Hehehe.

My husband was "Mr. Smee" from Peter Pan. Smart guy that he is he picked a comfy outfit in the sweltering heat. 

There was a magician who was amazing and looked a lot like "Captain Jack Sparrow" from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. 

There were games, photo booths, tarot card readings, magic, stage shows and all kinds of fun to be had. I did get a little bit of chair dancing on at the end too. We had a fantastic time. I'm glad I didn't let my hesitation of "going to a dance in a wheelchair" get in the way of me letting my inner mermaid (princess, fairy, shark) shine!

Settling In

I'm a very organized person. It has served me well in the past. I'm also a big "list maker." I never go to a doctors appointment without my list of symptoms and a basic timeline. When you have a complex medical history (and occasional brain fog) I find it very helpful to do these things.

At home I also have a "master health binder." It has printouts of referrals, important labs, evaluations and even a back section for relevant scientific studies and suggestions. It has been incredibly helpful on my journey down the rabbit hole these last few years. It's also bright pink, which makes me happy.

I've spent the weekend resting, enjoying my little family and settling into the RA diagnosis that I received on Friday. I also researched Plaqunil (DMARD I'm now taking) and learning what I need to do and watch for now that I'm taking an immunosupressant drug. 

What I've read is that I have to super watch out for germs and I'm at high risk for developing pneumonia if I get sick. I bought some things to help me stay healthy at work and am changing some habits at home. I'll share those changes in another post when I have more to report on.

GOD of all GF crackers!

I have to take the pills with food and have found that these crackers are a life saver. Before going gluten free I was a big fan of Saltines. Like the Dad in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (his obsession for Windex) I was convinced that any tummy remedy could be cured with ginger ale and Saltines. Well, these are my new Saltines. 

I've also been getting pampered by my honey.

I'm not a big alcohol imbiber... Actually that's not true. I very rarely drink, but when I do, I tend to "indulge" a lot. No more of that on this medication. My rheumatologist told me 1 drink a week or so is fine, but no more than that. Since I don't really enjoy "1 drink" I'd rather skip it completely. Enter the "mocktail." 

This was as good as it looks

I couldn't drink when I was on the medication for Latent TB too, so I'm no stranger to the mocktail. I learned that when socializing without booze it's nice to have something that looks like what everyone else is drinking. It's also what I blame my rootbeer addiction on. For the record, Henry Weinhards is the best (even if they use high fructose corn syrup.) 

Yesterday was a bit of a weepy day, but I can say in all honesty that I feel worlds better today. It's amazing what a lot of love and a good night's sleep can do for your spirit. I've also been slowly sharing the news with some people close to me. So far they've been very supportive and understanding. 

I'll happily report back on the Plaqunil when I've been on it longer. I tend to be very sensitive to medications (and chemicals) and drugs tend to work very fast for me. Now if anyone has any tips for the fatigue, I'm all ears!