LetterMo 2014 - I'm in!

I've been putting off the decision of whether or not to participate in LetterMo this year. I have a lot going on but the biggest issue is my hands. For some time now I've been in a lot of pain with them, my forearms, and shoulders. In fact, that pain is one of the reasons I bombed last year during LetterMo.

For awhile I thought the pain was caused by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome then I started to think the cause might be something else. Finally, when the pain got to the point of keeping me up crying at night, I went to my physician. She diagnosed me with Diabetic Neuropathy and prescribed Lyrica. She suspects I may also have Fibromyalgia but we'll pursue that theory later.

I absolutely detest prescription drugs but as a Diabetic Type 1 I use insulin and some necessary medications and understand that not all are the devil. I wrestled with the Lyrica idea for awhile, about three minutes, but knew that without intervention I was doomed. Not only was I in agony a good deal of the time, I'd gotten to the point of dropping items and a small amount of muscle wasting had begun. I had to do something. It's been a little more than two weeks since starting Lyrica and the relief I've experienced is nothing short of amazing.

I have mild side effects, mainly Vertigo (something I had before Lyrica but that seems to be a bit aggravated by the new medication) and sleepiness not long after taking it. Those have improved in the last week, though. I still hurt at times, most often when I wake in the mornings and in the late evenings, but the pain is nothing compared to what it was. I actually sleep now, better than I have in years. I'm able to hold a book or my Kindle again, I can prepare a meal without discomfort or dropping a pan and best of all, I can write letters again!

I've only written a couple of short letters so far. My handwriting has suffered and I'm working on improving it but if you want to take a chance on me, send me a note or letter to the address on the right side of your screen.

Zeus willing and the creek don't rise I'll succeed at sending you a reply!

Quiet days, no mail, and a visit by The Flying V

I haven't been to the post office since Friday and hope to get there tomorrow but might not. Unfortunately, I have vertigo and while it can leave me alone for weeks or months, when it decides to make an appearance it usually stops me in my tracks.

For those of you who only know Vertigo as a movie, consider yourself blessed! Some people think the condition means a person is just a bit dizzy but it's so much more than that. For most of us, it's a very strong sensation of spinning. Some people feel like their body is spinning and others feel like their surroundings are spinning. Remember those 'fun houses' in carnivals where the walls and floors moved, there were dizzying patterns all around, and getting through the rotating tunnels was almost impossible? I never liked those as a kid. I didn't find them to be "fun" at all but rather confusing, nauseating, and anxiety-inducing. My vertigo feels physically, mentally, and emotionally like I'm in one of those fun houses. It's so "fun" that right after it first appeared in 2009, I gave it a nickname: The Flying V.

If The Flying V is severe, I can't properly do my job at work, drive, cook, and can barely move around my apartment. I've been known to run into walls and even fall when it's very bad. Luckily for me, it's generally not that bad but even at its best it's miserable. I've tried medications, vestibular therapy, and a few other treatments with little to no success. By the way, mine seems to be at least partially related to hypertension but I've been on blood pressure medication since it first showed up and my hypertension is well controlled so I'm not sure why the vertigo shows up now and then.

Anyway, I've been struggling with it off and on for a few weeks and the last few days I've spent more time than I desired on the couch, trying not to move and staving off panic attacks caused by the feeling of helplessness. I did manage to get a few letters written over the weekend and plan to drop those in the outgoing box tomorrow. If I feel up to it, I'll check my post office box, also.

I hope The Flying V won't interfere with my participation in the Month of Letters challenge, but I have Plan B in the works just in case.

So there you have it - the reason why I've been a bit quiet. I'll get back to scanning things from the tin box and posting about incoming and outgoing mail and hopefully that will be tomorrow. If not, bear with me, please.

I promise I haven't forgotten any of you!