Hi, All!
If you've been wondering about the Card Chain Challenge, it's alive and well and being temporarily hosted at my dear friend Gail's blog. You can sign up for the November CCC here. (Gail is a PEACH, so leave her love if you drop in!)
I have an update as to my medical condition, and it's actually great news!
I was diagnosed on Friday with Extensive Lumbar Disc Disease.
(What on earth is great about that, you're probably wondering....)
First of all, it sounds horrific but isn't. I mean, it's no walk in the park, but it's not like I'm doomed to a wheelchair, etc. I have arthritis which has caused moderate loss of disc height and mild spurring (hence the fancy-pants-scary-sounding disease name).
This can be treated with physical therapy and medication. Scheduling physical therapy is in the works, and this will help alleviate the pain. They've given me drugs for pain management, but I tend to dose myself very lightly because (1) I'm not keen on becoming an addict; and (2) even a small dose makes me groggy - and one can't teach without a full battery of wits. (Okay, one can, but I don't recommend it.) I've taken a small dose at bedtime for the last few nights, and, for the first time in years, am able to sleep more than four hours. This is miraculous as the last six months have taken me down to three hours per night.
I cannot even begin to tell you what this kind of constant pain and exhaustion has done to my mental and emotional state. I have been severely depressed to the point I was starting to wonder if I needed to be hospitalized. It's been a very unhappy patch, all in all. However, if I can continue to actually get proper rest, I think the worst may be behind me.
Thank you so much to everyone who has been patient with me during this time. It grieved me to stop blogging, but I could barely function (let alone write). I feel confident that I'm on the mend and hope that I can get back to my old self soon.
Thank you for stopping and have a blessed day!
Deborah
P.S. Today was the start of the Hero Arts Hostess blog hop. It's a two-day affair, and my day is tomorrow, so check back for a look-see at what I made!