Tag: POTS

Microwave of Forgetfulness

Based on a true story.

I’ve mentioned before that I experience “brain fog” due to POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), which is a blood circulation disorder–turns out, if your brain isn’t getting enough blood flow, and therefore enough oxygen, it causes some problems. Like forgetting things. Including how to do things you believed you did “mindlessly,” like using a microwave. I put my food in the microwave, closed the door, and realized that I had absolutely no idea what to do next. I did eventually remember (hint: you push the buttons), but only after staring blankly at the microwave long enough for my food to have heated up.

More brain fog comics:
“Wander” (Inktober 2023)
“Forget” (Inktober 2022)

Inktober 11: Wander

Inktober 11: Wander

Alas, brain fog.

When I saw the prompt list, I knew exactly what to draw for “wander.” I wish I could say that any part of this comic is exaggerated, but it is pretty much a documentary. For further proof of the reliability of my brain, the sketch for this comic is accidentally mislabeled as “wonder.” Which, to be fair, also works.

Like last year’s “Forget” comic, this one is inspired by my experiences with “brain fog,” one of the many symptoms of POTS (a blood circulation disorder). It’s one of the symptoms that, while frustrating and occasionally embarrassing, is easiest for me to laugh at. Look for a future comic in which I forget how to use a microwave.

October

October starts tomorrow, which means that it is also the beginning of:

1) Inktober

2) Dysautonomia Awareness Month

I’ve wanted to participate in Inktober with Lab Mice for years, and finally decided to go for it. I have a goal to complete all 31 prompts, one each day. Doing this on the heels of finishing Q is for Quarantine probably means that I will be very tired by November 1 (so, probably not doing NaNoWriMo this year).

I will be posting photos of each day’s drawings on Lab Mice’s Facebook and Instagram pages, and will do a weekly post here on the blog.

It’s also Dysautonomia Awareness Month, which will be inspiring a few of my cartoons for the Inktober prompts (like #17, “salty”). I was diagnosed with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome–a form of dysautonomia) a year-and-a-half ago, and cartooning has helped me keep my spirits up and see the funny side of things while I learn to manage it.

It’s going to be a very busy month!