Life Style Changes

Solotime - Sorry for taking so long to respond. Your story touched my heart. I want to tell you there is help out there to help you achieve your goals. I was trained as a Special Education teacher. I never taught, but I am familiar with the Special Education laws here is the US. Since you were home schooled you probably did not get to take advantage of some of the services that were available to you nor the referrals and connections to other services.

The school system should have helped you learn to lip read and help you will getting access to an effective hearing aid. It saddens me that your school system was not more supportive address your needs.
Someone else already mentioned this, but it is worth repeating. An employer can't discriminate against you when it comes to hiring you. Plus, it might be to their advantage to hire you since they might be eligible for a tax break for hire you since are considered disabled.

Where you tested by your doctored and given the disable status? This status could help you with financial aid when applying for college? It is even possible that you could get special accommodations while in college to make it easier for you to successfully complete your education.

Plus, there should be government agencies in your area to help you get help with getting an effective hearing aide. This may require several web searches and many phone calls. What State are you in?

I am rooting for you that you can find a way to get the education you need to become a fish warden. I think it would be a great career for you.

 

Solo I agree with what sglick said about help from the school system but there is still ways to get help. You can contact the "Hearing Loss Association of America" or Gallaudet University (strictly for hearing impaired located in DC). Gallaudet has listings for services in each state. I have a granddaughter who has no hearing whatsoever and she has been able to get the resources that she needed. She is planning to be a teacher and she gets to attend school for nothing.
As for me... I've decided to stop beating up on myself. I'm staying off of the scale (too depressing) and just doing what I can do. Sticking as well as I can to staying away from processed foods, sweets, etc. Also trying to fit something fun into my crazy schedule at least a few times a week. My hubby asked if I was losing weight! Maybe I am but I'm resisting the scale.

 

AnnT - I too have stopped using the scales, but a jacket that I had not worn since last Autumn was a lot looser round my waist than last time I wore it. Here's hoping!
Solo - I wish you lots of luck in achieving your dream.

 

No problem on the late replies! I wasn't on anyway for like four days.

Thank you all for posting!

My parents for some reason kept my medical stuff hidden from me.
Even the doctors wouldn't say things to me. I guess when was little
they probably thought I wouldn't understand. From times I remember,
I had many, and I mean many hearing test done. Even ones from professionals. (What my mom said they were)
Would I be able to get a copy of my medical records to see what they have my hearing listed at?
I think my hearing got a touch worse over the years.

@Ann, Good luck and hope it gets better for you!
I can understand what you mean about beating yourself up.
Maybe if you know you're loosing weight you can just avoid the scale.

*Added*
If I wouldn't become a fish Warden, the other jobs I like are: Truck driving and Graphic designer. I always enjoy building things on the PC but I'm just not up-to-date for the stuff they would use. Since I just got my Driver License this year, I believe I must wait one year before I can apply to be a truck driver. Now of course I'll need to go into all that training stuff...(Had to wait three years to get my license, the doctors said they didn't want me to drive cause of my hearing problem. So we went to different ones and they filled the paper out)

 

solotime
I hope one day you do a job that you want and like

 

Update... was informed a few days ago the lady I help take care of is being moved to an assisted living facility... so back on the job hunt for me. If things go as planned, tomorrow is my last day working with her. My back is still not healed so maybe this is a blessing in that regard,had to strip her bed this morning and wash bedding ( soaked) and threw my back out so bad I could barely move, will likely have the same thing to deal with tomorrow, so in that respect I am ready for this job to end. Don't get me wrong, I like this lady, and want the best for her, I think she is to the point she needs to be in a facility that follows drs orders, get her therapy etc. ( I have followed dr orders with her), but some there have not, and it has been very detrimental to her.
I am still doing the yoga exercises, some days they help more than other days, and I think it is directly related to stress put on my back~hubby does not get it, I guess because he cant see the damage in his mind that must mean it isn't real, he jumped down my throat today because i refused to bend over and pick up trash someone threw in the floor while I was at work.... grrr some days I think he needs a love tap with that golden 2x4!

 

Solo, Federal regs say you need to be 21 to be an OTR driver. Good Luck and start studying your states drivers laws and on-line tests. The next thing is to get into a reputable school, preferably one that has PTDI certification. When I thought of driving for a career change I did a lot of on-line searches to find the answers and even then...

 

joyce - my heart goes out to you. I hope all the very best for your lady with her moving into a facility. I hope the time off will give your back some additional time it needs to heal. Good for you for continuing to do yoga. So sorry that hubby is not more understanding. I hope that changes.

For me...I have just come through a little more than 5 weeks of such severe pain that I have needed increased assistance myself. I felt better earlier this week and took a short walk. By the time I got up to the top of my street, I was hurting so bad I turned around and went home. I am back to battling those demons of fear of any activity creating pain so bad that it becomes tough to manage. All activities create pain and some days I do better managing than others. I am going to take a positive step and buy new shoes and see if a more cushioned walking shoe will help.

 

PnP, I know it seems counter-intuitive, trust me it did to me, but exercise actually makes the pain less when it's regular. When you feel bad, just go to the end of the block, or carry in groceries or walk in the grocery store. When it's better go a little farther, if you have stairs in your house go up and down a few times. After a while, and it seems like forever, you will feel less pain with daily activity. I do understand daily pain I have rheumatoid arthritis and was diagnosed at 16. The docs told me when I was diagnosed to keep up any kind of daily activity or exercise. Just walking in the grocery store was more than enough for me some days, after about 6 months I did feel better and it hurts to do it and the brain says don't. I do it now cause I know in the long run I feel better. Keep plugging away, it does get better.

B

 

PnP... The Marines have a saying (we have lots actually )
"PAIN is Weakness, Leaving the Body"
This is as they haul 100 pounds in a pack and march at a 3 MPH pace !

 

Joyce, PNP & Baw. I feel for you with your aches and pains. Hubby has a big problem with his bones, back, hip, neck and I also suffer backache although not to any great degree. Both of us do exercises BEFORE we get out of bed in the morning. This helps as the backbone has not been squished down by standing upright. He was also told to take pain killers by a friend of ours who is a Pain Specialist, as, although he did not want to take them, (he takes Tramadol - spelling?) apparently you will not exercise correctly if you are in too much pain. A few years ago he sat for about 6 months, with me nagging him to take his pain killers and he refusing, his response to me being that I was not a Doctor, so what did I know! Oh, well, that's MEN for you. Once the specialist told him to take them, he did and he is much better now. Obviously we are all different and what suits us, may not suit you but it is just a tip I pass on hoping it may help. He has good days and bad days and always wears a support belt if he is working around the house/grounds. He is very active and will not give in, although sometimes I tell him not to overdo it, and he says he already has! For myself, I try and limit myself to only one hours activity in the garden at a time, and I try and walk regularly but I must admit to Sglick that I have not done my walk up the hill and back again for a while now. Memo to self - must try harder!

 

@crzyjoyce, Sorry to hear about that pain! I know it always sucks to be in pain.
Hope things do get better for you!

@puppiesnponies, I hope that getting new shoes will improve for you!


@baw815, Wow that must really sucked to have that!
Sorry to hear about it as well!

 

hi all~ a little background here.. when I was a kid ( possibly about 6-7 yrs old) I fell getting out of tub, the fall broke my tailbone it didn't ever get fixed... drs have told me in the past that the only way to really fix it is back surgery which always carries a risk of permanent paralysis...they mentioned possibly fusing that bone to the one above it, or removing that bone and replacing with a steel rod, none of those options sound good to me so I have never considered them.
I know there are far more options now than there were back when i was told what options would be available, however they all require massive amounts of money and insurance, and I have neither. So Just doing the best I can with what I have... And am grateful that I do still have the ability to walk even if it is for limited time/ distance.
Just so everyone knows.. this is very abnormal for me, this sharing thing... I normally keep everything to myself, things that are personal and potentially life changing are never easy for me to talk about, to anyone.

 

crzyjoyce - I appreciate your honesty and brave sharing of your malady. (Sorry...didn't know what else to call it....only have had 1/2 cup of caffeine). I agree...all those options sound painful, expensive & scary. I sincerely hope you find some kind of relief soon.

I woke up so very sore this morning...I've been doing too much, but no choice but to carry on. This week is still killer busy for me....and no way to call in tired and sore. I will forge on and look forward to Friday.
Have a great week everyone!

 

Joyce, PNP, and Baw - I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers with regard to your pain. No one can really know your struggle unless they have gone through it themselves. But I can wish you the best and tell you I admire each of you for your persistence and positivity. My heart goes out to you.

Brooke, each Monday morning I wish to call in "tired and sore." LOL! I laugh but it is sadly pretty accurate.

Since the funeral I have been rubbish at doing even a single act of self-care, exercise, or anything that resembles it. As a result, I am feeling perfectly and predictably terrible. So much OT at work this last week, that I have taken a vacation day to get caught up on school work. Trying to think of what sounds good today - a walk? A bath? Surely I have time in a whoooooooole day to do something such as this. We will see how it goes. I am taking farmerumfs memo to self onto my desk - "must try harder." Sometimes it's just getting back into the swing of it and I have to force myself that first few days.

AnnT - neither do I use a scale. It is silly but possible for it to make or break my whole day, sometimes. To avoid that folly I just use a pair of jeans I rather like instead. Right now they do not even get up my entire leg.

 

thank you all, lol Brooke, i like that call in tired and sore idea... I actually called in at one job I had, with this" I feel too good to come in to work today" my boss was so tickled about that she gave me that day and the next off. Miss that kind of boss! Some places I've worked allowed me to have a few "mental Health days" Those days were always used doing things I wanted to do not what had to be done.
Wish things were going good enough that we could all call in too well to work!

 

@crzyjoyce, Wow that must have been pretty painful and tough to deal with!
I kind of keep things to myself. The only people I share with are the ones over the internet.
It's much more different trying to explain things to people in real life. Most of the times
you wish you didn't say anything to the person. I told my cousin about my hearing problem and
kind of started feeling uncomfortable then. (This was last year in Florida)

One of the dumbest things I did, when I was 14 I had a walkies talkie in my hand and riding a bike..
Was talking to my uncle on it. He said not to be riding out of his sight too far. So I was like Alright, I'm coming back.
Here I wanted to slow down and used the front break. Caused me to flip over and break my nose and get skinned up.
Didn't chip any teeth but and refused his offer for ER. Ever since that, my nose never healed right and blocks the one side a little.
But whatever I guess.

 

Thank you to those who have shared life experiences. I know it can be hard to open up like that but your stories have touched me. I just stopped by to wish everyone a good day. I appreciate the suggestions and encouragement.

Banjo- Semper Fi!

 

Joyce, PNP, and Baw I am sorry to hear about your pain. It is impressive how you are still going on and try not to get beaten down.

I was about to write that there are exercises that strengthen the back and swimming is also very good for it, but now reading about the tail bone, I am not sure if this will help. Maybe the chiropracticer "?" can show you a thing or two that you can do at home.

The other day I was reading every one has time to exercise, especially while watching TV. It said, use the commercial breaks for it. Start with 60 second plank or wall plank and then 2 minutes of lunges and/or side lunges. While my hubby was out last week I tried some of it. Planks the first break and then Lunges the others. If you ever had the thought, there are tooo much commercials, now you feel there are to much of them. Just thinking the "kind" of exercise can be switch. One evening I used the hoola hoop. That was quiet nice actually. Stayed "swinging" for about 15 minutes and ignored the rest of the breaks.
I found out I have more weakness than a jello.
Are there more nice saying like "PAIN is Weakness, Leaving the Body" and does it help saying that, Banjoman?? Just curious.

 

Update again.... I am doing better, as long as I don't have to walk on concrete for long i am able to maintain. grocery shopping is my least favorite thing to do anyhow, and seems to take way longer than it should, still doing yoga exercises and had to cancel last chiropractor appt, truck broke and had no way to go... now no money, no job unless school calls for a sub. Tomorrow after i take voting ballot and drop it off, will call and find out whether they still have my number to call me to sub. I am getting some things caught up here at home ( at least putting a dent in it, lol) I tend to over do it then pay for it later.
Hope everyone else is doing well... and Solo I can so relate to the bike accident, I didn't have a walkie talkie, just racing with my cousin, he went through a gap in fence I missed and barbed wire is not very cuddly.