So, yeah–Thought I was back for good, but… Some of you already know about my life-splosion this past year, which has included health issues, ending a marriage, and financial issues to the point at which I wasn’t sure for a while if I’d even have a roof over my head. Now, obviously I’m still plugging away, and obviously some of those things have improved, but if I’m not around as much as I’d like, it’s because a lot of my time and energy is taken up by Lifesplosion II, the sequel.
I’m aware than many people have things much worse, so this is not so much to whine, but to explain what’s going on for anyone who might be curious (Okay, yes, I’m whining a little here, too.):
Among other things, the spine injury from which I’ve been recovering for years, and for which I am on long-term pain management, has gotten inexplicably worse, putting me in hefty amounts of pain, and reversing the progress I’d been making toward regaining full use of my right arm. In addition, it is beginning to affect my left arm. I have an MRI scheduled for Friday, and the doctors hope that it will indicate some better treatment options, but I’ve been warned not to count on that. There’s a good chance I’ll recover at least the range of motion in my right arm I had gotten to, and maybe even more, and that my left will come fully back online (my left is still at around 90% or so) but the doc says I need to recognize that there’s also a chance things will continue to go downhill. The good thing is that even at it’s worst, I’ve always been able to move my right arm some, and move my fingers enough to type, even when I couldn’t bend my thumb.
In addition to the above, the one constant in my daily life, that stupid cockatiel that I love more than anything, and who attached herself to me like velcro, is missing because I was an idiot. In looking for her, I pushed myself to the point at which I aggravated old Army and civilian injuries that mean I’ve been on a cane and even more pain meds for a couple of months now, and may be on the cane for another week or two to come. (The local news even did a piece on me looking for her, which I was hoping would lead to her recovery, but so far, no such luck.)
I have other birds–specifically, three cockatiels who have been rehomed to me since Sachi went missing–but none of them are Sachi. And if I end up losing too much more mobility in my right arm, and if my left arm mobility starts going, as well, I’ll probably have to give them up for their own good.
I’m not just laying down and accepting anything, though. In addition to everything else, I’ll be talking to the VA soon, 'cause according to an old Army buddy, I probably qualify for a few things that could help cope with some of the above.
There’s other stuff–car, family, dental, and finance-related–but that’s the gist of the biggest factors. So yeah, hopefully I’ll get some of this resolved and be around more soon.