Being sick is a slog.
Your life doesn’t have to be.
Being sick puts everything in hard mode—meaning your old ways of earning, dating, and living just don’t work. But sick people can still earn, date, and live. Even better than they did before. I’m proof.
Who even am I?
I’m Kira: a former ski patroller and copywriter whose health fell apart gradually, starting with a headache that never went away at age six and crescendoing in 2016 when my neck catastrophically blew out.
I’ve been dealing with a broken body and an even more broken medical system for a long, long time. It’s made me funnier, more joyful, and more enraged that a whole new crop of kiddos have to go through this shit. Sorry, no one deserves this. AND we find goodness, anyway.
If you feel a stirring to support this work:
Venmo my “parent company” @flyingbicycle or fulfill my wildest replacement toothbrush head dreams on MyRegistry. Thanks in advance!
What does Imperfect Working Order include?
Money-making ideas that don’t involve pyramid schemes, “spicy” anything, or even working that hard
If you’ve still got a couple good working hours in the tank each week, consider creating a high-yield microbusiness before you go on disability.
Affordability tips that won’t take your coffee
I sip a fresh Americano from a cute local coffee shop every day, so suck it, Dave Ramsey. People who can side hustle and who have never gritted their teeth against hospital hold music have no place giving you financial tips. I do. And will.
Positive (but not toxic-positive) community
Loop into the comments to meet other souls who have struggled with illness and prevailed nonetheless. (They’re all hilarious. Why is that?)
Honest, real-life reviews for things that level up your life
Because you can’t buy happiness, but you can be achily toasty in a heated vest that you’ll never take off. (I haven’t. It’s here and goes on sale a lot.)
Brainfog-sized tips
Get new ideas delivered to your inbox and sized for your capacity. I’ll keep things short, digestible, and thought-provoking—even moreso in Notes!
Access to invaluable resources
Soon, they’ll be guides, courses, and cheat sheets on living your best sickie life.
A few early perks:
• Get $100 when you open a new Ally account using this link. (Gives me $50, too.) Throw $1k in the investment account or make three scheduled deposits into the high yield savings to score the $100. I’m so mad no one told me about high yield savings until I was nearly 40. (One reader said it worked on desktop, not on phone…heads up!)
• Get a $200 bonus (and then 3% cash back forever) at American Express with this link. (I get $75.) Hot tip: go through their “special offers” to really load up on cash backs. I use Amex for both business and personal.
• Take $60 off a Liberty Trike like mine with this link (I think it gives me $60, too?) For the cheapest deal, get the “Classic” (aka, old, aka, mine) model or a refurb.
It’s free—for now.
Take the tips and run! Send ‘em to your sick buds. Shoot me an email if something I write makes a difference to you—I’d love to hear about it.
If you feel a stirring to support this work, you can Venmo my “parent company” @flyingbicycle or fulfill my wildest n95 mask dreams on MyRegistry. Big time gratitude in advance.
I’m sorry you’re here (because illness is the least best) and glad, too (because sickies are the raddest). Let’s get you in Imperfect Working Order.
