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Blogger milestone: 1,000 followers!

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Good morning! It’s Monday morning and I am feeling pretty good today even despite my fall yesterday. Apologies for the rant post but I was feeling pretty down on myself. My sister reached out this morning and offered to bring me my dad’s cane. We caught up for a bit and I am happy to have something help me hobble around. I’m okay. My knee on the other hand is pretty banged up.

Last week, my blog hit the 995 mark and finally, I’m at about 1008 followers. I wanted to wait a bit before posting a celebratory post in case I lost some followers. I’m glad to see more engagement and have been better at reading and discovering new blogs too.

I thought I would celebrate by sharing some artwork, and answering a few “get to know me” questions!

Why did you start blogging?

I started this blog back in April 2019 when I wanted to get back into writing. I had written a couple of e-books and wanted a platform to share my personal stories and experiences with grief and loss. From there, the blog went through many changes and has really grown in the past year.

What do you enjoy blogging about?

Everything and anything. I’ve really come to like cooking soups, stews and creating my own recipes, so I share those from time to time. I also like researching mental health trending topics and sharing my opinions and stories about my professional experiences here. I’m also trying to promote awareness about chronic illness and invisible disabilities. I live with hEDS — more on that later.

What kind of music do you listen to?

A bit of everything except heavy metal or rap. I have 40 playlists on Spotify from indie folk, classical piano to classic rock. I listen to a lot of classic rock and I grew up on music from the 50’s and 60’s. It really depends on my mood. I would say I listen to more indie folk than anything these days. And top 40, 80s-90s more than anything.

What are your favorite television shows?

That’s a good question. My all time fave shows include Supernatural (I watched from 2005-2020). Twilight Zone, X-files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel.

More recently – Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Lucifer, Animal Kingdom and The Vampire Diaries is a guilty pleasure. Back in the day, I loved shows like Sex and the City (the reboot is awful!!!), Seinfeld, Cheers, Friends, That 70’s Show and even That Family Guy. I also really liked Bones and re-watch it every couple of years.

Most of my shows have ended so now I listen to a lot of podcasts and watch indie news on Youtube. Or gamers like Markiplier, jacksepticeye and more.

What are your favorite hobbies?

Because of my hypermobility, I wasn’t able to do a lot of sports growing up. I got into music instead. I studied classical piano for about ten years and clarinet. I even joined a city orchestra and performed in concerts and competitions. I retired from stage performance in 2017 to focus on health, and compositions. I’m using a penname for this blog now and try not to share my music videos here.

Sometimes I take a break from music and focus on digital art, photography or painting. I’m also really into herb gardens, DIY crafts and home living these days. I’m in a nesting phase of my life.

What do you do for work?

I’m currently on disability leave after having received a permanent disability diagnosis. For now, I have this blog and music to keep me entertained on good days. I write often because it gives me something to look forward to each day.

Before that, I worked in office administration from 2000 – 2019. Almost 20 years and I was working towards a career in communications and taking training through my job. I spent six years in health administration and learned a lot. A couple of years in education administration – student employment. And I have an extensive background in community stakeholder and event planning. That is my real passion and something I was really good at.

Unfortunately, I got really sick and was battling almost daily migraines in 2019 and had too many sick days. It was HR that told me I should look into LTDI and here I am. I’m using the term “medical retirement” for now.

Why don’t you share any pictures here?

Well, that’s a loaded question. I stopped sharing my real name and pictures here on wordpress after having some issues with creepy men that I wound up having to block. They were leaving sexual comments that I didn’t find appropriate – especially when posting about grief and loss.

So now, I use a penname (though Wendy is my first real name). I’m rebranding my image here and am working on new artwork to share with you. Unfortunately, it only takes a couple of creeps to ruin it for everyone else. I do have some social media accounts reserved for long-time followers or those I know personally. I share pictures there. The accounts are private. Also, if I ever am able to work again, then I really don’t want potential employers finding this blog. Unless they want to hire me for blogging!

For now, here’s a baby picture of me – getting an early start in writing. Yes, I’m old. That my young friends, is a typewriter.

What do you like about blogging and wordpress?

I think the main thing here is the community. I’ve met a few online bloggers that I really like to communicate with. I’m pretty bad for leaving comments on blogs so I am trying to get better at that. I’m still shopping around for a tablet that I can use while lying in bed on bad days.

So for me, it’s being able to share my artwork and daily life thoughts, and being able to connect with others like me. I can also learn a lot about different things here.

Thank you for your ongoing friendships

I think that’s it for now! If you have any questions you’d like me to address I can do that in a second post.

Thank you all for following my blogging journey here on WordPress. I know I post a lot – maybe more than most bloggers. But it gives me a sense of purpose and a reason to get up each morning.

I try and keep posts to one a day but when you don’t work, there’s a lot of hours to fill in. I’m also working on story ideas for some fiction novels. I’ve got a good start on one book but not sure I will share it! We’ll see how it goes. I can write up to about 6,000 words in one day. Sometimes I will draft 3 or 4 blog posts and save them for later. I write whenever an idea comes to mind or something sparks my interest.

Please follow!

If you want more posts like this and free downloads, then follow my blog. I’m working on a series of templates for checklists, tasks lists, and printable journals!

Personal

Living with chronic migraines – but you don’t look sick!

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It’s nearly 8:00 am and I’m showered, dressed, have a cup of coffee and a load of laundry in the washing machine. I wish this could be the case everyday. I love early mornings. But alas, another migraine kept in bed most of the day yesterday. It’s not even the migraines anymore. It’s the dizzy spells and nausea that come with it. It literally comes and goes. One moment I’m sick as a dog, the next, I’m ready to get my day going.

This is the part I have trouble explaining to doctors. I did some research and migraines have now been declared to be as debilitating if not more so, than strokes or heart attacks. That gives me a bit of relief to know that I’m not alone in the struggle. I see my doctor next week for a follow up. I’m hoping we can go back to the drawing board on what medications to try. The mirtazapine does nothing for me. I gave that up a couple of weeks ago. It just made me sleep 18 hours a day. And who can be productive on that schedule? I also read one side effect is weight gain. Which is the opposite of what I want.

I think I’d like to try the amitriptyline again. It’s one of those drugs you can take as needed and you don’t need to constantly increase the dosage. The Zomig has stopped working. I can’t stomach the Cambia powder. And before you even suggest it…

Nope. I’m not going to be talked into Botox injections. For one, even with 80% coverage of benefits, it would cost $200 every twelve weeks. And that’s money I just don’t have right now. Or like ever in my current line of employment. My rent went up. So did the power bill. And it seems, everything else like the cost of food is on the rise too. Does it ever really end?

One the reasons I’m still off work is that my former doctor had requested that I work from home on a permanent basis. WCB disagreed with this decision. I was put back on the employer’s benefit plan. But that will run out soon. If I don’t get on long term disability, I’ll have no choice but to return to work. The caveat?

My employer refuses to let their staff work from home on a permanent basis. Our Premier is pushing people to go back to work as soon as possible. There’s just no compassion really. People don’t care if you’re sick or living with a disability. They’ll cite performance issues to push you out.

So, I’m looking at all options to carry me through while I figure things out. In a simple world, if I could just find work I could do on my own schedule from home, that would be amazing. The hardest part in the world right now is keeping to some kind of regular schedule.

Last night for example, I wound up getting out of bed around 1 am and I’ve been up since. I lazed in bed most of yesterday. Sometimes a migraine can feel like a stroke. When you lift your head or open your eyes, you instantly feel sick or fall right back into bed. I think the vertigo might be the worst part of it.

Part of the problem with migraines is the whole “you don’t look sick” or “you’re not sick 60% of the time”. But what people don’t realize is that even you’re not in migraine state, the rest of the time, you’re in that fog or hangover state. Sometimes that part is even worse than the migraine itself.

My worst migraine in my life happened after a trip with my friend to Calgary to see a concert. I wound up in the hospital with what I thought were stroke like symptoms. Every time I lifted my head up, or opened my eyes, I got sick. I mean, I had to call 911. I could the look of the paramedics face when they said, “Oh, it’s just a migraine.”

I felt validated when I nearly puked on the guy’s shoe. They finally believed me when I said I “got sick every time I opened my eyes.”

Good days have been far and few in between. And even though it’s dark and dreary outside, I feel like I can get a lot accomplished today. I forgot how much I love early mornings. Watching the sun rise. The world is quiet. There’s very little traffic. It’s serene. We have lots of trees around which means lots of birds. Even the gulls don’t get up that early in the morning.

And so, this is where I am this Thursday morning. Thinking about the future. Trying to reach out to former colleagues, friends and network as much as I can on the good days. And asking you, my dear readers, to pass on the word that I’m looking for work in marketing that I could do from home.

Do you live with migraines? If so, what have you found that works for you for treatment?

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Friday Feeling – today’s word is “squall”

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It’s Friday again! Does it really matter though? The days have all blended together and it doesn’t seem to matter what the day is. They all feel the same lately. That’s the effect isolation has had on us all.

We’re still in lockdown here. Most restaurants and bars are closed. I haven’t had a haircut in months. I finally cut my own hair out of frustration yesterday. Just an inch off the bottom. I’m afraid to cut it anymore than that for making a mess out of it. I just keep cutting and cutting because I think it looks crooked. So, I need to get into a salon the minute they open up again.

My niece is taking beauty culture classes or whatever they call it now so I really might have to visit my sister one of these nights. The kids are all growing up so fast. Her brother got accepted into business school and I’m just so darned proud of him. They’re amazing kids. Even if they are taller than me.

I just got off the phone with my therapist. Appointments have been via the phone or video conference because of the pandemic. We meet bi-weekly. And it feels amazing to have someone to talk to who isn’t family or a friend. It’s someone who doesn’t know my world and can give advice without judgment. I always feel better after our chats. I really like her too. Very easy to get along with.

For some people therapy is a four letter word. There are people who are ashamed to even admit they are in therapy. But one thing I realized in the last year with isolation and the pandemic, sometimes we need that extra support. Just having someone to talk to can help.

That’s why I’m stoked for my new service page where you can book consultations and coaching sessions with me. I told my therapist that I’m ready to retire from government work and move onto something else. I’m still looking for work I can do from home but jobs are limited these days. I’m still also waiting for medical appointments – it’s going to be about a year before I can get into see a neurologist for the migraines. I also want to chat about Parkinsons. It’s hereditary. And I just want to be on top of things for when I get older.

The search for a new place continues. Rent is so insane here. I’ve paid $1200 for years for 2 bedrooms since 2008. People are now charging that for what they think are “luxury” condos — for a ONE bedroom! It’ s freaking insane. I ranted about this on Facebook and a friend just sent me a link to a rental for like $1500 without utilities. I was like, um, thanks, but did you even read my post? I’ve seen condos as high as $2500 monthly. People call them luxury condos but they’re tiny.

And what’s with kitchens in new condos? They are so little. Some people still like to cook! I need a full sized kitchen above anything else.

That would mean more than 50% of my income goes to rent. I’m tired of being broke all the time. While I have some savings, it isn’t much. Luckily, I managed to pay off a good chunk of credit debt this year. So, that’s a bonus. I have stellar credit now. That’s an amazing feeling but took a long time to get there.

And so, this is where I am on this Friday afternoon. It snowed last night and it’s a dreary kind of day. It’s supposed to get really cold this weekend but I can’t complain. We’ve been spoiled with above average temperatures.

Except for that “squall” that we experienced two nights ago. No one even knew what a “Squall” was. I kind of like the term. “squall”. Want to know what a squall is? Check this video out. It was surreal. Lots of people lost power. Because things couldn’t get any weirder. People lost entire sheds and trampolines. Roofs were torn off houses.

It’s like a hurricane- but with snow.

On that note – I will wish you a happy Friday. What are you up to this weekend? It’s another big fun isolation weekend here. I think I will get back into baking and work on some recipe cards for you all.

Happy Friday!

Friday Promos

Still looking for that first review of my Etsy shop. Prices of art have been reduced. I’m also giving away artwork to customers who leave a review. You can also get a hand-signed piece of your choice from me. Don’t miss out! Only a week left.

Services

Check out my new “services” page – it’s a work in progress as I come up with a list of services I can offer. If you’re looking for online companionship or coaching sessions, get in touch. We can work out something.

https://atomic-temporary-134655889.wpcomstaging.com/coaching/

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Isolation and the impact it has had on communication skills

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Something I realized this week as I started reaching out to people via phone calls and texts, is that COVID-19 has cured my hatred for talking on the phone. Talking on the phone is something that we all did as teenagers in the 90’s. We didn’t have cell phones or even a home computer in those days. Instead, we spent many hours glued to our phones while hiding in our bedrooms.

I didn’t get my own phone until I was about 17 or 18. And when I did, I spent most nights glued to it. To the point that my dad’s customers couldn’t send faxes. I had to cut my phone usage back to between 9:00 pm and 12:00 am. It’s kind of funny when you think about it now.

But since smart phones came along – most people that I chat with prefer communicating by text. And I am a terrible texter. Give me a computer and a keyboard and I’ll chat your eyes off at 99 wpm. But on a cell phone? I’m all thumbs. No really, all thumbs. I inherited my mother’s fat and wide thumbs. I have to use auto-correct every text I send. It’s painful.

The summer months were better for me. I was able to visit my sister and her family. We had a couple of dinners together with just the kids. We had a nice quiet Thanksgiving in October. And I was allowed to see my dad every Saturday. Even though I wasn’t working during the week, I had a set schedule. Saturday visits with dad. Sunday mornings at my volunteer gig with the church. And the occasional visit with friends – which was rare.

Then September hit and cases were on the rise. We’re seeing numbers as high as 1600-1800 daily here now. The province is in mandatory lockdowns for the next month. People are back to working from home. I went out today for the first time in weeks to attend another funeral. It was small with only ten people. We followed protocols. But I’m afraid that’s it. Services are cancelled until further notice. Visits with dad have been cancelled since October.

My two reasons for leaving the house are now – cancelled. I’m allowed to have people visit me. But most already have their families they live with. It’s going to be a lonely Christmas.

But that’s besides the point.

Last week as I started getting more calls for work reasons, to update some medical information and just day to day business in general, I found myself reaching for the phone to make a call instead of relying on emails. Just hearing someone’s voice on the phone made my day better.

Friends have been reaching out more and more. I had cookies delivered on the weekend. And while I miss human contact in general, and hugs, god I miss hugs – I’m finding that being in isolation has improved my communication skills.

I’m able to discuss my feelings more openly. I have no fear of picking up the phone and calling someone to say hi. I still call my dad daily even if he can’t hear me at best of times. I’m catching up with old friends I haven’t seen in a while.

Zoom chats are more enjoyable and it’s just good to see people’s faces. Masks are so impersonal. And while I understand they are important for our safety, it makes it harder to connect with others in general.

I miss seeing people’s smiling face. I miss hugs. I really, really miss hugs.

And so, those are my thoughts on this sunny day as I wait for another phone call.

I do love this whole being at home all day though. If I can find some work to do on a part-time basis – even better!

How are you coping with isolation these days? Let me know in the comments.