8.26.13

Some days it gets "blog time" and I think... "eh... I don't have anything new to say"... but I come and sit down and start thinking over the time since my last blog entry and come to find out that... I really didn't have anything new to say. I'm going to dig deep but you have been warned. Nothing new under the sun.

I did accomplish two unpleasant tasks today: filling out the paperwork to get money from my 401k and my conference call with the disability lawyer to file my appeal. Both required more mental energy than I have used in some time but I trudged on through. Mondays are supposed to be rough, right? That's how I came upon the whole "Reasons to Love Monday" theme that got me through a lot of really icky Mondays.

The disability call took nearly an hour which surprised me. They get down to the nitty gritty of everything you can and can't do... such as when I put on shoes and socks do I bend down to my foot or bring my foot up to me? I had to pretend to put on a sock to answer that question. Do I stay in the shower as long as I used to? The answer is yes... because my hair is longer and it takes longer to rinse but no... because I don't shave my legs unless I'm coming in contact with humans other than Austin and his friends. That's exactly how I answered. Do I cook differently? Well. Yes because it is hard to stand for a long time so I am more likely to cook in the crockpot or cook something that will have leftovers or cook things that are easier to prepare. One day last week I had ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Am I able to drive as long or as often as I used to? No. Why not? Because I get muscle spasms in my butt from the piriformis syndrome and over compensate by sitting weird which makes other parts of me hurt and because I get dizzy spells. We reviewed every medication I'm on and the side effects. This is because part of my case involves proving that I either don't take pain medication and am in so much pain while working that I'm "distracted" (a phenomenon I referred to as "pain brain" and got a chuckle out of my very serious attorney) or I take pain medication and it limits my ability to think clearly. Basically... we have to prove that I'm a big goof ball one way or another. .. which is why I wait to type my blogs every night until the ambien and the flexeril and my other chill-pills kick in. We can rename this blog: Heather Unplugged.

I asked if there was anything to be read into the fact that they haven't asked me to have a medical exam. She said it either meant that my medical records adequately document my disability OR they didn't want to be bothered with it at this stage. Lots of people are denied on their initial application. I thought this next round was the Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner round and she said that actually... this round provides the lowest percentage of acceptance - 13% of all the people who are approved for disability are approved in this initial appeal. My lawyer's average is better - 21% of their victories come in this round but it's still the fewest so she was warming me up for round three, if that becomes necessary. We're getting a statement from my pain doctor advising there is no job function that I would reliably perform consistently without pain. They also want me to make sure my doctor has included in his records that I have issues with anxiety and rarely leave the house. This is true. Sad but true.

Anyways... my attorney's name is weird... I won't say her name but it would like having a name from the sixties as a first name and a breed of horse as a last name like... Marsha Pinto... and it always makes me think of her as a cowgirl. See... if social security knew how things work in my brain, I'd have been cleared right away.

But... from a financial standpoint... freeing up money from the 401k gives me roughly 9 months of paying for car insurance, life insurance, my doctor visits, meds and basic things for daily life. Austin's shoes have all been sacrificed to the mold gods... every stinking pair... so my kid is now barefoot. The hard part... his little autistic size 13 Fred Flindstone feet are so sensitive and delicate that there is only this one certain type of flip flop he will wear so as soon as I found out he was Shoeless Joe Yardwork... I jumped online and ordered a new pair for him. $31 down the drain. It's financially painful but less painful that driving into Gainesville to find a shoe store that sells this very specific ONLY SHOE HE WILL WEAR. Honestly, online is easier and it saves me the gas.

Speaking of the mold... we are making progress... the dehumidifier is doing it's thing. I think I've bounced back enough from the abuse my body took last week to try tackling it again. We're going to be trying to salvage fabrics with an acidic spray - lemon juice or vinegar - and then the hard surfaces will be getting this water sealant paint. And then we'll put either tiles or carpet tiles - something that would be easy to dissemble and clean if we have more water come through. There is some plan afoot that will route the water away from our house that will hopefully solve the flooding problem. So. I have one little form to finish up tomorrow with a phone call from the mutual funds people and after that I'm going to be cleaning mold until my lungs or my back gives out... whichever comes first. I am grateful to have a cozy attic nest but I miss my little Whine Cellar. It was quieter. More comfy. It was mine. I'm glad to not be homeless and I'm glad to not be in mold but I want to get back "home" as soon as possible.

We're having company this weekend... a co-worker of my dad's (and a former co-worker of mine back in the day)  and then the family that lives across the street from my parents other house is coming on Monday to hang out and check out the new space and bbq with us. We're looking forward to the visitors but not looking forward to the work it takes to prepare for them. I'm pushing myself tomorrow... then will rest on Wednesday. Will push myself Thursday... rest on Friday... maybe just make sure Mawmaw and Pop and Auggie who are doing the bulk of the *hard work* stay fed and hydrated.

The kitties think it's time for bed and I'm of half a mind to agree with them. I was up until 2am this morning so I need to get a good night in tonight.

Hope you had a wonderful Monday! Love and hugs!