My boyfriend recently started a new job and I have been home recovering so I have had a lot of time to catch up on comics. In march, I discovered some new (or new to me) titles. I have been wanting to read G willow Wilson's Ms. Marvel for awhile now and since my comic shop was having a sale on first volumes I decided to pick up Ms. Marvel: No Normal. I really enjoyed reading it and being introduced to Kamala Khan. Kamala is a teenager that takes over the mantle of Ms. Marvel from Carol Danvers. I will admit that prior to this, although I knew some things about Ms. Marvel, my knowledge about the character is somewhat lacking. I enjoyed everything about this book from the art to the writing. Adrian Alphonia's art was fantastic. I am a fan of the iconic costume but it was nice to see a more realistic take on it as well. It seems like with the popularity of comics like Squirrel girl, less sexed up, "real" depictions of women are on the rise. It is possible to be the embodiment of sass in a realistic costume, after all.
G willow Wilson's writing is superb as well. It is really refreshing to see young women portrayed so realistically. One of the things I enjoyed most about reading this was that crime fighting does not come naturally to her. She had to learn to use her powers while hiding her true identity from her very concerned parents.the Overarching theme of volume one seems to be Identity. Kahn is Marvel's first Muslim character and although, it may have turned some off of the character her struggle with faith is relatable to anyone regardless of religion preference. She faces peer pressure at a party which magnifies the differences between her and the party-goers, leading her to question her faith. Ultimately she ends up saving one of her a"frenemies" from the party from drowning later on. The struggle with keeping her identity from her parents is also very real. Being a teenager is hard enough without being a superhero, you know? Her father wishes that she would focus on school, and her mother is worried that she will make the wrong choices. Again, this makes Kahn an easily relatable character.
I will definitely be picking up volume two!Are you a fan of Kamala?
Last week the International Geek Girl Pen-paling club celebrated it's third birthday! I joined the club a year ago and was quickly paired with my own iggle (that's wbat members call themselves). The penpals are disburse dafter monthly rounds which are usually themed and sign up is easy. After visiting the website (here), you are asked to fill out a short form with your name and email, and provide five of your geeky interests.
I just signed up for another penpal and my list included:
• Disney
• Horror films
• Comic Books
• Reading
• Kawaii
My first penpal and I were featured on the IGGPPC blog this month as part of their birthday celebration.to learn more about our story click here.In the year I have known Bree we have become close friends through lengthy letters, social media, and texts. This year we opened our christmas gifts on Skype so we could see each other's reactions. I am always amazed with how thoughtful she is and we have gained a deeper friendship because we can be more open, honest, and build a connection through snail mail.We live in such a digital age that it is actually nice to sit down and plan a letter. Alas, Geek Girl Penpals is more than a group of hardcore lady types who share a love of stationary goods, it is also a community of like minded individuals that are extremely active on social media. The club hosts events for everything including read-a-longs, movies, and even a digital summer camp. If I have ever wanted to discuss fandom but find that none or few of my IRL friends share that interest (like my current obsession Zodiac Starforce) the iggles are always a tweet away to indulge my nerdy whims. When I was hospitalized (see last entry). Bree organized a valentines/galentines/get well card drive for me. It meant a lot to receive that many cards from the iggles.
I also received two drawings from the lovely Whimsy and Noir (who is also an iggle) and I have Jem makeup in the smaller one. I also have a strange desire to die my hair blue and orange now!
Are you a member of the IGGPPC? Have you ever had a penpal?
I haven't blogged in what seems like forever so I thought I
would post a bit of an update. About a month ago I was hospitalized again. I
initially went to the emergency room thinking I had bronchitis or pneumonias
because I was experiencing congestion and was having trouble breathing. At that
point in time I had been dealing with the return of my acid reflux as well. I
was getting sick almost nightly and on medication to help keep food down, if
possible. It all started to become clear when the tech that was taking x-rays
of my chest suddenly yelled, “What the heck is that?” Not exactly what you want
to hear after an x-ray. As it turns out my stomach had moved up into my chest cavity
and was pressing on my heart, lungs, and against my spine. It became clear that
I needed to have surgery for a second time in little over a year. Because this
was my second surgery, there was a lot of scar tissue and it could not be done
endoscopically. I was also incredibly malnourished which made surgery even more
risky. Thankfully, I was transferred to a hospital in Dallas with a surgeon
that put my concerns at ease. I was on something called TPN for about a week
before surgery. I could not hold down food so I had to have an 18ga IV of nutrients
that went directly from my upper arm into my chest. It provided all the nutrition
I would need and even had a handy port for drawing blood so that I would not
need to be stuck often.
The surgery itself was extensive. Again, because this was my
second go, I would need a larger incision that would go from the bottom of my
chest to my belly button. The surgeon opened me up, brought my stomach down,
wrapped my esophagus, and inserted a pig skin mesh to keep my stomach in place.
To be honest, it felt completely like a horror film.
Recover has also been difficult. Ultimately, I spent three
weeks in the hospital. As a result, I had to withdraw from my classes and am
currently in the process of paying back financial aid. Emotionally, this has
been a real struggle because I had formed an identity around being a student
and I was so close to the finish line. This was going to be my last semester
before my AA and considering I had obtained my GED and spent the last 2 years
being an A student, it has been difficult to swallow.
Physical recovery
has been difficult as well. I left the hospital with twelve metal staples down
the middle of my abdomen. You really never think about how much you use your
muscles until you lose the ability to. I had to learn how to do simply things
like using my legs and arms to push up from a chair. As a person with limited
mobility already this has been a nightmare. I cannot use the walker I am familiar
with because I cannot walk with my arms in front of me. I have to use a “granny
style” walker instead. I also have to use an oversized wheelchair that dwarfs
my small frame. My muscles are still really weak and wheelchair I currently use
is so big that I have to rely on someone to push me. My insurance will not
cover the style of wheelchair I want and at over $2,000 it is too much for me
to afford on my own. I am still waiting to see how much of my hospital stay my
insurance will cover. The hospital estimate that was sent to my home is about $94,000.
I am overwhelmed financially,
emotionally, and physically.
Thankfully, I have amazing people in my life and a friend of
mine started a gofundme to help lessen the financial burden I am facing. We have
raised over 900 dollars so far! The money I owed the school was $925 but gofundme
also takes a cut of whatever you raise. If you would like to donate please click
the link below. If you are reading this and have already donated, I am beyond
grateful. Thank you.
