I realize that my lack of traveling is showing on here and it's a shame. But over the last two years a lot has happened from sickness to a failed (and not to mention toxic) relationship to changing my career path to figuring out what owning your own place is all about. I am happy to say that I have learned a lot from all of these things and I'm still growing from them. And I want to speak out about all of them because everyone learns and grows in different ways.
The Downfall:
About a year ago I hit a HUGE downfall in my health and ended up in the hospital. Now, my health has always been a thing ever since I could remember, always seeing doctors, medical tests, hospitals and pills. A lot of those problems were pushed aside or never looked into anymore than an abnormality that I would eventually grow out of. Even though this hospital visit turned my life around and upside down, I am thankful for it's presence in my life. I would still be clueless of where my health was leading.
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| Me and my rad bracelets and coloured picture from my friend Emily. |
After two weeks of test after test, I was finally taken under the wing of a (very awesome) cardiologist at the West Reading Cardiology Associates. I have always had a problem with "blacking out" if I got up to fast and as I got older it got worse. Finally this time, I passed out far beyond functioning. Due to the extreme lack of oxygen, I also mimicked seizure like symptoms. This cardiologist recommended a Tilt Test. The horror that is it, it saved my diagnosis and verified that I had a condition called POTS.
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome is a chronic illness where the body lacks the ability to adjust when moving from different positions; that includes, exercising, walking, standing, sitting, cardio activity, reaching for things above or below you and so on. It causes the patient to get "blackouts", dizzy spells, light-headedness, or pass out.
But that is the least of it. POTS is also an autoimmune disorder, therefore affecting the rest of how the body works. Everything from regulating temperature, heart issues, GI tract issues, blood pressure, blood pulling, muscle issues such as Fibromyalgia, and other organ dysfunctions.
It's a tricky illness to work with because no patient has the same mixture of problems nor do they all react in the same manner. Luckily there are some medications patients can take, exercise, and diets that can help maintain a somewhat healthy lifestyle.
I can safely say that it has been a hard year of remission, but I am finally starting to feel somewhat healthy.
Whilst that was all happening...
The Toxicity:
I wouldn't have said it was toxic all along, but my first relationship with a person was okay at the start, but ended up in a negative light. Now, part of this I do take the blame for and that was not stopping it before it got worse. I was holding on and fighting for a relationship that didn't exist in the first place, but that was all I knew about relationships (fighting for each other). But unfortunately, that only works if you are both fighting for the relationship. Another thing that doesn't work is letting that person take a hold of you and hurt you emotionally and verbally. It may not seem like abuse at first, but eventually you catch on and it hurts even more.
Tips for the future:
1. Trust
2. Honesty
3. Truth
4. Time
5. Genuine Care and Love
6. Be true to yourself
The Slap in the Face:
I say, get your career first and then go back and take some classes, but our AMERICA is so focused on sending your child to college that it's no longer seen as a privilege or an honour to learn. Classes are no longer interesting by your fourth year of school. It's over expensive. And some professors are at the point where they just don't care anymore. After taking well over 6 years to figure out what was best for me, it was most certainly NOT worth the 30,000 plus dollars I put into those years.
I mean, thank goodness for my low-income job and over educated self!
The Move:
I'm not saying the move was or wasn't a HUGE crazy idea and was made on the wrong judgments, but it was worth it, because I most certainly wouldn't have figured out what career I wanted or met the people I have today if it wasn't for moving. For a change, it's rather nice having your own place than your own room.
I'm excited to say, I am moving again for the sake of saving more and starting fresh. But apartment #1, you were good to me.
1. Trust
2. Honesty
3. Truth
4. Time
5. Genuine Care and Love
6. Be true to yourself
The Slap in the Face:
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| Courtesy of Google images. |
There is this thing called College.
An institutionalized and marketed piece of (insert clever word here). Now I'm not dissing colleges but in all honesty. It's kind of a waste, unless you are 100% sure of what your career is going to be.
I mean, thank goodness for my low-income job and over educated self!
The Move:
I'm not saying the move was or wasn't a HUGE crazy idea and was made on the wrong judgments, but it was worth it, because I most certainly wouldn't have figured out what career I wanted or met the people I have today if it wasn't for moving. For a change, it's rather nice having your own place than your own room.
I'm excited to say, I am moving again for the sake of saving more and starting fresh. But apartment #1, you were good to me.