So, What have I been Doing?

It's been a little while since I've posted here...time to do that. I've decided that I will give you an update on what I've been doing and what is going on in my life in this post.

On Sunday, I didn't make it to church because I was so tired and in too much pain...instead I slept a lot that day and finally, by evening felt a little better. Monday, I had an appointment at the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) in another town "near" here. Actually, where I live NOTHING is nearby except a bunch of deer and bears ,....and LOTS of trees. Anyway, I got lost going to this appointment because I ignored the little voice inside me that said "go straight" and instead turned right (directed by a sign which indicated a right turn to get to the town I was heading for). So I drove ten miles in the wrong direction. Finally, a kind storekeeper let me use her phone and I discovered my mistake...so I headed BACK over those ten miles of winding road, mountains and beautiful scenery...and ended up at OVR fifteen minutes late for my appointment -- just as the person ahead of me, came out followed by my counselor who was just then looking for me. I guess this was God's timing!

So the OVR counselor explained to me how they could and would help me to work my way back into the workforce by first letting me choose a vocation and then paying for me to be educated in that field and finally providing any equipment I will need in order to work as well as a job coach and help me to find the right job. You can't ask for more than that! I am excited about the possibility of returning to school and possibly getting my degree (only 20 years late!), but I am also nervous about it.

I have serious problems with my short term memory as well as will comprehending what I read or what is spoken to me. For a person who got a perfect score on the English SATs, that is an embarrassment to admit...but true. This disease has wreaked havoc on my brain. Now, what was I saying? Oh yes! (see that's what's cool about writing, you can always look back and READ where you were!) These memory problems will make studying and retaining information a challenge.

The two fields that I indicated to the counselor my interest in are: Naturopathy, and editing. And I also said I would prefer doing the schooling online and probably also working at home eventually as well. Both of these jobs make that possible. When I looked into them online, however, I found that while Naturopathy is a growing field with lots of job possibilities; editing, due to changes in technological changes in publishing, is a diminishing field with a much smaller demand for workers. Which, if you ask me is okay, because I am more interested in Naturopathy anyway.

Also this week, I have gotten back on track with my new manner of eating which I have been trying to initiate. I had had about a week of straying into "gluttony" and had gained a few pounds back of the weight I'd already lost. This weight gain motivated me to return to my decision to use the Spark People website assist me in this goal...so back I went. It's been three days now, and so far, I'm doing pretty well with that. I have also purchased a stability ball and am exercising with it ...so far have done that twice and feel pretty good about it. At the schizophrenia site forum, a few people there have remarked on how much better they feel when they force themselves to exercise and move around. This is true for me also...it is also true that it requires a huge effort of will to push myself to do that...to do ANYTHING actually.

Also this week (actually, it was last Friday) my laptop just died and wouldn't turn back on. Yesterday I called technical support over at Toshiba and was told, after answering some questions, that the problem is not serious and to take it to Best Buy for repair. (it is one month out of warranty). So tomorrow, when I go to see my pulmonologist in NY, I will drop that off. I am SO eager to get it fixed and back. Sitting at the PC is painful for me and I miss the comfort of my recliner. However that has also been a good thing, because this week I was forced to do some things other than just sit on my laptop all day. I've actually read the book "Amazing Grace" this week and it is almost finished. (That is the story of Wilberforce's life in England in the 18th century).

So all in all, it's been a relatively interesting week...and I actually will have gotten out of my house twice this week! That has to be a record...and while I was very nervous about going to OVR and am also nervous about the public exposure of going to NY tomorrow with my friend; it feels pretty good at the same time.