Not that long ago I wrote a blog called Bug in the Brain as a way to keep friends and family informed while going through a difficult situation, without having to tell the same story over and over again. Since then, a handful of my readers have encouraged me to keep writing and sharing. I've wanted to, but haven't found any one topic or niche to which I could commit myself to continue an entire blog. Recently I've decided, however, that I don't need a niche. It's my blog, I can write what I want. Besides, my life has been a little bit on the exciting side, so that can be a topic in itself.
As the title suggests, any readers of Something And Other could expect a hodge-podge from me. I'm a nurse, homeschooling mother of two, baker, want-to-be fitness enthusiast, novice painter, crafter, pinterest addict, (mostly) vegetarian, and wife to a training-to-be air traffic controller. All of these things will likely be reflected in this blog, as well as serving as a place to continue to keep friends and family up-to-date on the latest happenings in our lives.
Hopefully, this will also my place to catalog thoughts and readings on my never-ending journey to develop mindfulness and happiness in daily life. It's been a busy decade for me and my family, with major life events happening pretty much every year.
My husband and I met at 17 years old, were married when I was 19, and had our first child when I was 20. At 21, I graduated nursing school, got a job on the night shift, and we bought our first house. At 22, we had our second child. Just under a year later, my husband's father passed away from glioblastoma multiforme. We found I had a brain tumor one week after that. So, shortly after my 24th birthday, I had brain surgery to remove the tumor, resulting in a deaf ear, a constant headache, and paralyzing one side of my face. I required months off work for multiple therapies. By age 25 I was suffering chronic migraines and started to feel overall really bad - chronically exhausted, weak, nauseated, headachey, faint - but still worked while my husband was in school for air traffic control. We both homeschooled the kids, and managed to arrange our schedules so as to never have them in school or daycare. Family helped a lot.
Continuing to feel worse, I went to the doctors, and after rounds of testing was given a probable diagnosis of dysautonomia. More specifically, postural orthostatic tachycardia (POTS). By age 26, while I continued to spiral downward with the 'dysautnomia', my husband finished school and we learned his future job would be in a different state. We didn't know get to know where it would be exactly, or when it would start. In preparation, we moved in with my parents, sold our house, and waited for word on the job. By the end of that year, miserable and depressed with constantly feeling ill, I began to start reading more about mindfulness, Buddhism, and using meditation for chronic pain. I stopped taking all the medications I had been put on for chronic migraine and dysautonomia, and as I 'detoxed' my symptoms began to improve. I believe my so-called condition was medication induced. For my 27th birthday, my husband and I went on a 6+ mile hike, which was an amazing thing. Currently, we are still living with my parents, I've just quit my job, my husband is away for job training. We (almost) know where we are moving, but that's a whole story in itself.
Despite the ups and downs of the past years, coworkers, family, and friends have commented on my spirit through it all. Many times, they were the ones that kept me laughing. I can't say it's always been easy, and many times it's been downright impossible, but I've tried to make light of the difficult times. So, while I don't claim to be an expert in anything, I hope that maybe I can write something here that inspires others to find the joy in something and others.
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