Author Topic: I'm back! (Read 2322 times)

Elkhound · « **on:** October 23, 2018, 09:10:42 pm »

I know I've been off the boards for a long time and some of you may have wondered what happened to me.

Well, in 2017 I had a recrudescence of my depression. I resulted in my losing my job. I've done some temporary work since, then, but nothing permanent, which you can understand has been very stressful. All-in-all I think I have coped rather well---still have my house, for one thing. I'm on a medication regimen that has the depression more-or-less under control.

I've also had several nast bouts with gout, which I have kept under control through diet and herbal medication (tumeric and ginger both have anti-inflammatory properties, so lots of Indian food!)

I just came off of a long-term temporary situation, about which the best can be said that it kept food on the table. I hated it, though; not my co-workers or the management mind you--most of them were very nice. Just the work.

However, I have had within less than a week's time two really good job interviews; both are a little different from what I have done professionally before, but the do call upon some of the skills I have built up through volunteer and community work.

I'm still active with my church; over the summer, when the choir was off, I did two solos. I haven't been active, much, with the Masons, as either my depression was such that I couldn't drag myself out at night or my job had me working nights, but I still managed to work the music crew for the Scottish Rite. Usually I just sing, but this time for the latter half I had to play the organ, as the organist got sick. I'm not a very good organist, but I coped.

Gout is rare in women, for which you ladies should be thankful. It occurs when the body produces more urea than the kidneys can handle, and the excess crystalizes in the joints. It usually starts in the feet, primarily the big toe, but it can flare up in any joint. I've had it in my big toe, my ankle, and once in my knee. Back in Feb. 2017, I had a bad one--my left foot was so swollen that I couldn't wear a shoe, and the pain was so bad they had me on NSAIDS, steroids, AND opioids1 (Never, EVER give asperin to someone having a gout attack--asperin actually makes it WORSE!) The side-effects of the opioids were almost as bad as the gout itself--or perhaps it was the interaction. In any case, I told my doctor that I didn't want an opiod again if there were any alternative.

Roberta is still doing well. She's grown from the scrawny kitten she used to be in to a magnificent mini-puma. I miss Zane and I miss Rupert, but if either of them had lived, I wouldnt have met Roberta, and she's made my life so much better.

So, all-in-all, things could be better, although they could be much worse. I seill have my home, am reasonably healthy, and have two very good job prospects. Please keep me in your thoughts & prayers.)

[To get this on topic---what do you think a Deryni Healer could do for gout? Doubtless one could relieve the pain and swellng of a flare up, but what could s/he do for the underlying cause?)

DesertRose · « **Reply #1 on:** October 23, 2018, 09:27:02 pm »

Welcome back! I was wondering where you'd gone, but last I knew, you'd been having financial difficulty, so I figured (and was hoping) that you were either busy or had to let your home internet service lapse.

Re: Healers and gout, I'd imagine that they could at minimum ameliorate the symptoms, but possibly they could also induce the body to break down the uric acid. We've had a couple of recent conversations about what modern-day Deryni Healers might be able to do with the advancements in understanding and research of medicine by the 21st C., so possibly not in "period" as far as canon is concerned, but a 21st C. Deryni Healer might well be able to induce the acid breakdown to get the episode to chill out and stop hurting.

(My maternal uncle has gout, so while I don't have it myself [although I do have osteoarthritis, but that's a little more consistent and thus in some ways easier to manage than gout], I've seen the suffering and verily it doth suck right mightily. I'm glad you're feeling better.)

Pet Roberta from Florida.

revanne · « **Reply #2 on:** October 24, 2018, 07:56:21 am »

Good to have you back. Thoughts and prayers for your job interviews and for the depression to be kept at bay.

in the meantime time, you have quite a lot of reading to catch up with...

Evie · « **Reply #3 on:** October 24, 2018, 10:19:42 am »

Good to see you back! I was just thinking about you and wondering how you were earlier this past week.

Will keep your health and job prospects in my prayers.

Jerusha · « **Reply #4 on:** October 24, 2018, 11:24:23 am »

Welcome back, Elkhound. Hope everything continues on a positive path. Good luck with the interview results!

Bynw · « **Reply #5 on:** October 24, 2018, 11:35:12 am »

Welcome back @Elkhound

Good to have you back as part of our community!

Laurna · « **Reply #6 on:** October 24, 2018, 12:15:13 pm »

Good morning Elkhound,
I hope your job prospects turn out well. Good to have you back.

Elkhound · « **Reply #7 on:** October 24, 2018, 07:49:19 pm »

Deert Rose, I have some osteo, too; just about everyone does as they get older. For years I have also been dealing with what I am sure is fibrobyalgia, except that it is apparently rare enough in men that my doctors have been unwilling to officially diagnose it.

I'm really hoping to get back with the State of West Virginia; I am only about two years away from eligibility for a pension.

DesertRose · « **Reply #8 on:** October 24, 2018, 09:45:18 pm »

Quote from: Elkhound on October 24, 2018, 07:49:19 pm

Deert Rose, I have some osteo, too; just about everyone does as they get older. For years I have also been dealing with what I am sure is fibrobyalgia, except that it is apparently rare enough in men that my doctors have been unwilling to officially diagnose it.

I'm really hoping to get back with the State of West Virginia; I am only about two years away from eligibility for a pension.

My stepdad has (formally diagnosed) fibromyalgia, as do I. I'm not sure what the process was for him getting his diagnosis, but I know he already had type II diabetes and possibly also his Crohn's disease diagnosis before the fibro started up (I'm not sure on the timeline there). I know I went to a rheumatologist, who did some in-office examinations, reviewed some imaging that had been ordered by a couple of other doctors for various reasons, and sent me for a fairly extensive panel of blood work to rule out other causes for the pain (like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis); fibromyalgia is often diagnosed because all other conditions that could be causing the pain have been ruled out. (Incidentally, there's a book by a doctor named Ginevra Liptan, who has fibromyalgia herself, called The Fibro Manual, and it has a lot of useful, actionable information about managing the condition; I have it checked out from my library right now but I may well try to buy a copy when I can. It might be worth your time to see if your local library has or can get you a copy via inter-library loan.)

And yeah, I knew osteo was going to get me, since it was visible in my right thumb via x-ray when I was all of twenty-three, but it runs heavily down both sides of my family so the only thing remotely unusual is how young I was when it reared its head.

I hope you can get a job with the state again; my parents are retired federal civilian employees, and say what you will about working for the government, but they do pay a reliable pension and the other benefits (like medical insurance) are usually pretty decent too.

Shiral · « **Reply #9 on:** October 24, 2018, 10:11:35 pm »

Welcome back, Elkhound. I hope your job prospects work out to your advantage. It's no small thing to have held onto your home through your difficult months. Glad to hear Roberta is a successful and beloved companion!

Melissa

Elkhound · « **Reply #10 on:** October 26, 2018, 03:36:35 pm »

I just got a long-term temporary job with the local Housing Authority. I will be helping update their policy and procedures manuals to either comply with changes in the law, or to be congruent with current conditions. It pays really well, and may lead to a permanent position with the Authority---not doing that, but the temporary job will make me familiar enough with most departments' work to make me eligible for lots of things.

There are two other positions with the local public university I've interviewed, either of which might come up.