Phoenix: Live Love Laugh

Hello World, It’s Me Again—Still Standing, Still Creating, Still Healing

Hey there, world.
It’s your favorite Sickle Cell survivor checking in—with a few updates, a few bruises (some literal), and a whole lot of heart. It’s 4 months into the new year.. here is what has happened.

Last time I wrote, I was celebrating my 52nd birthday back home in beautiful St. Lucia, the island where it all began. I came back feeling rejuvenated, like the sun kissed my soul and said, “Girl, go do something fun!” So naturally, I decided to tackle the one thing I’ve always hated about my house: the tiny bathroom.

Now, listen. If I had the budget, I’d tear down the whole master bedroom and build myself a walk-in closet and a luxury bathroom with jets, music, and a towel-warming butler. But… I live on a little something called SSDI (aka “budgeting in all caps”), so we work with what we have.

Bathroom Makeover Chronicles

This bathroom update?
Took me four months.
No outside help. Just me, my grit, and some questionable decisions.

There were:
– Two full days without a toilet (yes, really).
– Four days without a shower.
– One minor detail still unfinished: a patch of unpainted wall over the tub (future home of my dream walk-in shower).
– Oh—and one dramatic fall off the toilet while trying to hang up the décor.

Don’t worry. I wasn’t unbathed for four days. My son’s bathroom is in the basement, and trust me, I hobbled my way down there with dignity somewhere in my socks.

My legs? Still weak from a 2024 hip replacement (more on that in a pending post). But the point is: I did that. I finished a bathroom renovation, on my own, with a bent body but an unbreakable will.

Then Came the Crash… Because yes—my mental health took a dive and I literally fell… right on my tailbone. And if you’ve ever had a tailbone fall, then you know that pain is next-level disrespectful. I mean, stars-in-your-eyes, lose-your-breath, can’t-sit-right-for-a-week kind of pain.

But pain? I know her well.

What I’m grateful for is this: I didn’t land on my newly healed hip. Because after everything that Hip and I have been through, that would’ve been a plot twist I didn’t need., 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 That’s a warrior’s gratitude right there.

After the last tile was placed and the soap dispenser set just right, life reminded me: “You’re still in recovery, sis.”

The depression crept back in.
Fatigue sat on my chest.
Anxiety whispered those familiar lies.

So I did what I always do when life feels heavy:
I prayed. Hard.

And then—I turned to the one unexpected thing that’s been helping me reconnect with my creativity and joy:
Crafting… with AI.

How I Fell in Love with AI Creativity

I figured if I couldn’t rely on the most powerful part of me—my brain, which sometimes forgets the rules—I could still find a way to bring my ideas to life. Enter: AI tools.

I didn’t know the “right prompts” or the tech lingo.
I just knew I had vision, and I was tired of letting my body’s limits control my joy.

So, I started joining Facebook groups, watching YouTube videos, copying what others did until it clicked.

And you know what happened?

✨ I made a coloring book.

✨ Then I made another.

✨ And then… children’s books.

✨Working on re-editing my first book from 2024 into an e-book where I share the real me and version people don’t know.

My hands and mind couldn’t always craft like they used to—but my re-trained mind, my story, my heart? They still had so much to give.

Why I’m Sharing This

Because someone out there needs to hear this:

You might be tired. You might be bent. You might be dealing with chronic pain, mental fog, disability, or straight-up life chaos.
But you’re still here.
And here is a beautiful place to begin again.

Whether it’s a bathroom makeover or a digital coloring book—let that little spark inside you create something. Tell your story. Use what you have. Start where you are.

Because if this survivor can fall off a toilet one day and publish a children’s book the next…
So can you. 💛

Want to read more of my journey or check out the books I’ve made? Stay tuned—this comeback story is still being written.

https://www.amazon.com/author/andreapoyotte

Click the link to get information, follow me, and purchase my books from Amazon.