Well, everyone, hello again! Writing this blog today is like reaching out to a long lost friend. It’s been about 5 years or so since I really blogged in earnest. Why? Well, so much happened in my life that prevented me from doing it. Even now, there is a lot of difficulty but I’m making the effort to return and resurrect this blog (and myself???) If anyone is even still there and listening, thank you friends!
So, let me break down what happened since I last posted, in ohhhhhh May of 2015! Let’s do a fun little timeline…
1) I was a psychology student at university, in the middle of a nasty contested divorce with 3 young children, and my health was tanking.
2) In early 2016, my divorce and child custody was finalized. I got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Because of the divorce, I went through a period of not having health insurance, which sucked since I suffered a lot of health setbacks at that time.
3) I met and dated a lot of people. It turned out to be generally, more stressful than fun. I had no desire to get into another serious relationship and was just passing the time with people.
4) In late 2016, I sold the house that my ex and I had lived in, and began living with my dad in the interim while I was finishing school.
5) In late 2017, I moved into an apartment with my kids, graduated college with a B.A. in psychology, and got a job offer to teach counseling skills and the psychology of addiction at the community college, which I accepted.
6) Early 2018, I began part-time teaching (and a lot more learning ensued along the way!) My health was still poor, but I was doing my best to muddle through. I had a lot of random illness and couldn’t yet find a cause for it/them.
7) Mid 2018, I went to Florida to decide whether or not I was going to move there. I decided against it at the time, and stayed in my home state.
8) Late 2018, I knew that part-time teaching wasn’t a stable enough job to take care of my kids and began looking for full-time work. I needed a job to work around them and their schedule, and I decided to go through the process of becoming a grade school teacher. To do so meant entering graduate school for a year to get certified, and possibly go on to finish a Master’s degree in education.
9) Early 2019, I went through the process and was accepted into graduate school in a program for a Master of Education degree. I was also admitted for a year long internship for my teaching certification. My health was still poor, and getting worse, but I was trying to stay positive that it would improve.
10) Mid 2019, after declining steadily for years, I became so ill I was bedbound. Being alone, with kids, and supposed to start graduate school, I was terrified of what was happening to me, and beginning to get hopeless. I had to quit teaching, quit graduate school, and move in with my ex-husband for help with the kids and day to day living. It was an extremely dark time for me. I questioned my entire purpose in living and why I was even existing on this earth.
11) Late 2019, I was diagnosed with ME/CFS, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, previously known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It was a relief to get a diagnosis, but in ways even harder, since there are no known cures for it and treatments are hit or miss. I spent the better part of a year not working, and trying to figure out my physical limits of what I could do so I could return to work. I knew teaching was not feasible anymore because of the physical demands of it.
12) TODAY! Mid 2019, my health has improved some and I’ve figured out some ways to work with/around my limitations. I’m back to looking for work and ready to be independent again! My kids are now 12 (twins) and 7, and becoming more independent themselves, which is helpful in allowing me to be able to do things for myself instead of devoting all my spare time to child care.
SOOOOOOOOOOO….a lot has happened! Surviving the day to day life. It’s not easy. Never has been. But I keep trying to find the silver lining in every cloud and the light at the end of each tunnel. It may sound cheesy but I’m always telling myself these mantras or sayings, and they do help me through my days and weeks when things are a difficult struggle. One of my favorites is “This too shall pass.”
That’s all for now folks. Just a quick check-in and a beginning, a place to start anew here and explore a whole host of new topics. Lord knows, after my last 5 years, I’ve got fodder to last for a really long time!!!
So, let me break down what happened since I last posted, in ohhhhhh May of 2015! Let’s do a fun little timeline…
1) I was a psychology student at university, in the middle of a nasty contested divorce with 3 young children, and my health was tanking.
2) In early 2016, my divorce and child custody was finalized. I got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Because of the divorce, I went through a period of not having health insurance, which sucked since I suffered a lot of health setbacks at that time.
3) I met and dated a lot of people. It turned out to be generally, more stressful than fun. I had no desire to get into another serious relationship and was just passing the time with people.
4) In late 2016, I sold the house that my ex and I had lived in, and began living with my dad in the interim while I was finishing school.
5) In late 2017, I moved into an apartment with my kids, graduated college with a B.A. in psychology, and got a job offer to teach counseling skills and the psychology of addiction at the community college, which I accepted.
6) Early 2018, I began part-time teaching (and a lot more learning ensued along the way!) My health was still poor, but I was doing my best to muddle through. I had a lot of random illness and couldn’t yet find a cause for it/them.
7) Mid 2018, I went to Florida to decide whether or not I was going to move there. I decided against it at the time, and stayed in my home state.
8) Late 2018, I knew that part-time teaching wasn’t a stable enough job to take care of my kids and began looking for full-time work. I needed a job to work around them and their schedule, and I decided to go through the process of becoming a grade school teacher. To do so meant entering graduate school for a year to get certified, and possibly go on to finish a Master’s degree in education.
9) Early 2019, I went through the process and was accepted into graduate school in a program for a Master of Education degree. I was also admitted for a year long internship for my teaching certification. My health was still poor, and getting worse, but I was trying to stay positive that it would improve.
10) Mid 2019, after declining steadily for years, I became so ill I was bedbound. Being alone, with kids, and supposed to start graduate school, I was terrified of what was happening to me, and beginning to get hopeless. I had to quit teaching, quit graduate school, and move in with my ex-husband for help with the kids and day to day living. It was an extremely dark time for me. I questioned my entire purpose in living and why I was even existing on this earth.
11) Late 2019, I was diagnosed with ME/CFS, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, previously known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It was a relief to get a diagnosis, but in ways even harder, since there are no known cures for it and treatments are hit or miss. I spent the better part of a year not working, and trying to figure out my physical limits of what I could do so I could return to work. I knew teaching was not feasible anymore because of the physical demands of it.
12) TODAY! Mid 2019, my health has improved some and I’ve figured out some ways to work with/around my limitations. I’m back to looking for work and ready to be independent again! My kids are now 12 (twins) and 7, and becoming more independent themselves, which is helpful in allowing me to be able to do things for myself instead of devoting all my spare time to child care.
SOOOOOOOOOOO….a lot has happened! Surviving the day to day life. It’s not easy. Never has been. But I keep trying to find the silver lining in every cloud and the light at the end of each tunnel. It may sound cheesy but I’m always telling myself these mantras or sayings, and they do help me through my days and weeks when things are a difficult struggle. One of my favorites is “This too shall pass.”
That’s all for now folks. Just a quick check-in and a beginning, a place to start anew here and explore a whole host of new topics. Lord knows, after my last 5 years, I’ve got fodder to last for a really long time!!!
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