confessions from a woman with impaired vision, complex PTSD, and hope
I’m sitting in a hotel room in Miami, mere hours from the next chapter in what has become a seven-year climb. I suppose I could think of my steady stream of surgeries as a mighty war against the scar tissue that continues to threaten my vision. Tomorrow’s surgery is but one battle of many in…
Do you ever wake up and just think, “Not today”? For those of us with chronic illnesses (or even difficult habits), finding a way out can seem like an impossible task. After years of trying, the trying itself can become a monstrous chore. I know I have certainly had moments where giving up looked like…
My last post explained how crummy I’ve been feeling in the last month. The culprit seems to be the oral prednisone I’ve been taking since my eye surgery in May. I am happy to say that after talking with my eye doctor today, I’ll be tapering off over the next month. So hopefully I should start to…
We don’t talk enough about the added effects of chronic health problems. We’ll talk about what medications help. We might mention their physical side effects. But how often do we talk about how these things affect our daily lives? It’s almost as if being alive is enough. But in some ways it really isn’t. Being…
I suppose I should start by saying that I won my battle with the insurance company! I apologize that it has been so long since I have written. I could blame it on being in grad school. Or on this increasingly frustrating bout of writer’s block. But excuses are futile. I haven’t written because I…
With the vast popularity of shows like CSI or Law & Order, we’ve grown accustomed to hearing common criminal justice terms like “mandatory sentencing” or “contributory negligence.” One term has always struck me as odd: “victimless crime.” I have never been certain whether a crime could ever truly be victimless. Is the person committing the…
Last week I had the opportunity to view the The Art of the Louvre‘s Tuileries Garden on display at the High Museum. The exhibit was beautiful–the models astounding, the statues intricate, the paintings lovely. One painting held my eye far longer than the others. I have searched for the image online, but been unable to find…
Every year seems to start up a new game with my health insurance company. If they do not send out a new statement of benefits, I have to track it down on their website or call in to request a copy. Depending upon the new government regulations, new treatments (finally) considered scientifically viable, and the…
The past couple months have been a bit of a whirlwind: moving, birthday, leaving my job, and starting grad school. In the movies, the start of an adventure is much the same. The take-off is rocky, you are introduced to a whole new set of wacky, lovable characters, and then set forth on a life-altering…
I finally made it home today, one week after going to the doctor to check on a fever. Funny how a checkup can turn into a brief hospital stay. Not so funny how a few nights in the hospital can bring back so many memories and ignite so much fear and frustration. Last Sunday, I…