Well, I owe you all an apology. This blog has been abandoned for four years, and a lot has happened in that time.
Katie is married, about to finish college, and expecting her first child!
I went back to work in 2013! I work from home, but I work full time doing technical support for Apple, Inc. as a Senior Technical Advisor. I hope to get back to doing QA, technical writing, or business analysis (see my résumé if you’re interested!) but this is a great start. I’ve worked for three years now, so I’ve proven to myself that I can work reliably.
Katie and I have been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hypermobility type), which explains a great deal, like the fibromyalgia symptoms. EDS is a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissues and, in our case, leads to loose, frequently dislocated joints and chronic pain. (I had asked a pediatric rheumatologist about EDS in Katie many years ago but he blew us off.) EDS is a genetic disorder and there’s evidence of it in two generations of our family, with anecdotal data of it in a third. The fourth generation hasn’t been tested yet but I’m hoping she will be.
The symptoms are still the same, as is the management. I’m on the same medications for management: Lyrica, with occasional opiates and muscle relaxants for breakthrough pain. I stopped taking narcotics on a regular basis a few years back so that I could return to work. Controlling stress is very important, and building up the muscles around joints in order to avoid dislocations is, as well. There’s a lot of documented trouble with dysautonomia, particularly Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which I seem to have, as well. I haven’t taken the nasty tilt table test to have confirmed yet.
But I’m able to work, which is the important thing. I’m in a stable, supportive relationship with my partner Rick, who has no online presence to speak of. We live in metro Atlanta with our dog Harpo and cats Django and Tully and a varying number of kittens fostered from Lifeline Animal Project.
So that’s me. What about you?
Yay! So good to hear from you here 🙂