Sorry I've been gone -- again!

Your an Inspiration Lecanis :)))

Thank you Angelwhispers! I really appreciate all your kind words. I do my best, and get through with a lot of help and encouragement. =) Of course I am in good spirits and humor! I am alive, it is beautiful where I live, I have the most precious little boy playing at my feet, and I have great friends both offline and online! I look at things that way both because I have to and because it is the only way that makes sense! =p

Seriously!

Haha, that sounds like a wonderful plan for me! Thanks! Seriously, thanks for all your kindness, sigma77. =)

Thanks Spitfire, I really appreciate it. =) You're right, medical things do just drag the world out of us, that's a very apt way of saying it.

Yes, since Sunday, it's really frustrating! I'm going to go see my Ear-Nose-Throat doctor tomorrow, the one who deals with my Meniere's disease, which is causing the vertigo. Thankfully my breathing is doing fine at the moment with the extra medicine I am taking, so I only have to worry about one illness at a time! I won't fall off the world, it just feels like it. I haven't been online too much the past few days, but when I am, I've developed a trick of turning back and forth in my chair just so, so that my computer appears to sit still. lol Thanks for all your kind words, and yes, I have complete faith that my Goddess will take good care of me. Obviously I just needed a little break! I'm thinking about going on short term disability at least for a couple of weeks after this, just so I have time to look at treatments and things without having to work as well.

Meniere's disease is pretty horrible. There isn't any known cure for it, though there are several treatments that help SOME patients, just not all. I was only diagnosed with it a few months ago, so I haven't tried all of them yet, starting of course with the least invasive options. Right now I am on different medicines and have altered my diet in hopes of influencing my symptoms. The next step will probably be trying a device called the Meniett that puts a low pulse of pressure into my ear, which would hopefully balance things out in there, so to speak. It's not guaranteed, and it makes some people worse and others better, but it's worth a try. I haven't worked at all this week, because of my vertigo. Normally it kinds of comes and goes instead of hanging on for days, as do the hearing loss, ringing in my ears, feeling of ear fullness, and other symptoms. It's really weird that I've had it for so many days in a row, so I moved my doctor's appointment up to address the situation. I really wish I could take more time off, but it all depends on what I can get. Many of the older people who have Meniere's receive assistance from Social Security Disability here, but being so young and having few work credits, it's unlikely I would be approved. Not only that, but I don't want to not work for the rest of my life! I'm hoping if I take a small break I can at least get started on the new treatment and see if it is helping. The nice thing is that the place where I work is being very helpful. There is a special section within my company that deals with accomadations for disabled employees to help them do their jobs, and once I see my doctor to get ideas what would help, I'm going to call them to see what my options are. I might be able to work with some special conditions, like not having to do certain tasks that require too much moving around, or a part-time schedule that can work around any attacks I have. I have two wonderful service managers as well who are going to meet with me, and help me get ideas for how I can work. I've been with the bank for 3 years, and I really enjoy it, so I want to keep working as long as I can.

You'd be surprised at how few credits you need to qualify for SSDI. I think if you've worked for 6 months to a year cummalatively you have enough credit to qualify. You can always check by going to http://www.ssa.gov/ Punch in your SSN and some brief info and you can see just what you qualify for. SSDI is hard to get though. My step-father is blind and was denied the first time. It's their policy to just deny outright and make everyone go through the appeal process. They do you pay you back to the time you originally applied though. If you think you might need it, you should start the filing process. One other thing to note is that you can still work part-time and receive SSDI. You just can't make over a certain amount of money per month or year.

Hi kamran! I have actually been modifying my diet because of the Meniere's, but thanks for the reminder anyway. I've been doing a lot of research because I had never heard of Meniere's until I was diagnosed with it, so I have a lot to learn. I've met some other people online who also have it, so that's been helping a lot with information. Dustin is doing great by the way! He's been very healthy since that incident, thankfully. Thanks for asking! I do hope to become more active again when I have a chance. I miss spending a lot of time here with my friends!

I'll be looking forward to hear from you often and have your views here:-) It's always nice and refreshing to listen to intelligent friends:-)

Thanks, filmbuff! I'll try not to worry about it then! =) **hugs** Minnie Mouse is indeed HOT! lecanis

Wow, it sounds like you have been busy! Glad to hear that you're having a lot of fun and getting to spend time with loved ones! =)

It's always one thing or another with me I guess, but I'm trying to stay positive and do everything I can to get better. Thanks so much! =)

Thanks aissha! All that is wonderful advice. =)

Dustin is doing great, thanks for asking! He's rambunctious and healthy as ever, so hopefully that seizure was a one-time thing. =) You're right, it's likely the stress from his little episode triggered this vertigo attack. Hopefully once my stress level goes down a bit, I'll feel better. I'm taking good care of myself, and am headed to the doctor's in about an hour.

I'm just starting to realize how horrible it is, teapot! Just thinking about living with it for the rest of my life is terrifying to me right now! So far my doctor seems to be going on my description of my symptoms with his diagnosis, which is reassuring to me (to have a diagnosis) but I should probably eventually have more tests and such. I'm going to see him today, partly in hopes he can find something to help me right now, and partly to discuss my work situation since I missed a whole week and my supervisor is suggesting either a leave or finding accomadations that can help me do my job. I'm hoping I'll get plenty of time to talk to my doctor even though I was kind of scheduled in last minute, but he's usually really good about listening and answering all my questions. I do hope that things get better for you! It sounds like you've been having a really rough time of it for a while now, and I hope there is something that gets figured out for you. It must be really hard not even knowing what it is in order to treat it!

Thanks, tina! Haha, now if I can just feed my addiction again soon too! =) Vertigo is very difficult to manage. It's hard because I still have things I have to do, even though I haven't been to work (like caring for my son) and I'd really rather just lie down and not move! Thanks for all your kindness and encouragement! I'm doing my best to get better!

Thanks jackli! I appreciate it. =)

Thanks arkaf61! It is hard to get around to doing mylot sometiems when you are very busy or have other things going on. I think most of the time people are understanding of such things, but I really like to let people know why I haven't done so, so that they know I'm not just ignoring them! Vertigo does suck. I just wish I could get it to go away even for a couple of hours right now! Hopefully in my doctor's appointment today he'll have some new ideas!

Yup, yup, I'm holding on! =) Haha, sounds like good old mylot! I can't wait to get feeling better and get back in the swing of things!

Thanks for the advice 8ctavarium! =)