Hi, I'm Ande

I'm a human who lives in a world that was created for humans who are different than myself. I am a queer person with fluid gender expression. I live with several co-occurring illnesses, both physical and mental, that drastically change how I impact the world and how the world impacts me. In many ways, I'm an average 21st century, queer, white, millennial but in many ways I am not. 

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I enjoy many things from the natural world and seek to explore about plants, animals, humans and more on a daily basis. I am always learning about things like geography and etymology and use this interest and skill to learn about my own illnesses. I spend my time doing art, exploring, crafting, learning and restoring my body and mind. 

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I've been living with chronic pain since 2015. It has fluctuated many times since, at times leaving me unable to walk or do daily functioning tasks. I have been unemployed due to its chronicity for many years and from different work. My job now is to maintain my physical health and not cause decomposition.  Concurrent with dealing with chronic pain, I experienced a huge increase in my mental health symptoms and after a long road of assessment I got some answers. I was recently diagnosed with autism at the age of 34, along with ADHD combined, OCD and an auditory processing disorder. Now I'm beginning a journey of acceptance and reflection to understand how these diagnoses are impacting my daily life.

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This blog was created with the intention of sharing about the life experiences of someone suffering who is finding meaning in their life. I hope it reaches others to teach and support.