Sunday, November 8, 2015

Super Exciting News!

I have been waiting to share this news for a loooong time. Now that I am doing well (migraine free for 9 weeks!) and I am eating healthier, I want to move forward in another aspect of my life.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Art back in 2009 and I never got to use it. Over the years, while I was in and out of hospitals and doctors' offices, I've done research about possible careers. It was always my intention to one day get off social security disability and reenter the workforce. However, I never figured out what I wanted to do. Then, on my 30th birthday, I went out to lunch with my best friend. Somehow, we got on the topic of careers, and she told me about all the different things she wished she could do. I thought for a minute and responded that there were only two things I ever really wanted to do. One was to be a stage manager, which was my concentration when I got my Bachelor degree. But stage management is a difficult and demanding career - it is mostly freelance and you can't take sick days. I would have no benefits and I would never be able to call out. With my medical issues it wasn't a realistic career option. 

The other thing I wanted to do was something in the social work/therapist field. I have always been the one friends and family came to for advice. I've discovered I'm good at listening and helping people with problems. That day, after lunch, I went home and decided to do some research. I discovered that I could get a Master of Social Work in two years. And I thought, "Why not try?". I contacted my caseworker at the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) to see if they would help me and I looked into schools. I chose two schools to apply to: Stockton University (where I got my Bachelor degree) and the University of Southern California (USC), which has an amazing online school of social work.

I have already applied to USC and I am waiting to hear if I've been accepted. It would be a dream come true to attend, because their school of social work is one of the top ones in the country.  I will be applying to Stockton University next month. I am also applying for every grant and scholarship I can find, to help defray the cost of grad school. I am waiting for the official word from DVR but my caseworker is fairly certain they will be aiding me in this endeavor.

In the mean time, I have been volunteering at a school for disabled children, because, as a social worker, I want to work with children with disabilities. It has been an amazing experience so far, and very rewarding. 

I am very excited about my future for the first time in a long time and I am excited to share it with all of you.  I will keep you all updated!

PS - I have hit 30 lbs on my weight loss journey and I have an appointment with a bariatric surgeon on Friday!

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Biofeedback (or Stressing Out On Purpose)

I just recently started biofeedback as another method of controlling my headaches and migraines, as well as my stress and anxiety. There is a great deal of research backing biofeedback as an effective tool to control migraines (more information can be found here and here).

At my first appointment, the doctor and I went over just went over my history. At my second appointment, I was hooked up to the machines. The point of this appointment was to stress me out and see how I reacted. The machines would monitor the way my muscles tense in my back, the temperature of my fingertips, and my skin conductivity. Then the doctor alternated stressing me out and allowing me to relax. I don't want to go into detail about the stressors because if one of you decide to try biofeedback, you shouldn't know what they are ahead of time. What I will say is that there were three types of stressors: mental, emotional, and anticipation. Afterward, the doctor and I went over the results. According to the data, I didn't tense much and my temperature remained relatively steady, but my skin conductivity showed my stress. As for the tests, I remained calm during the metal and anticipation stress tests, but reacted quite a bit during the emotional test. It should be noted that I didn't react to the anticipation test because I figured out what it was half way through. 

Also, during the relaxation break after the mental test, my stress went up. The doctor asked what I had been thinking of, and I remembered that I had been wondering what the next test would be. So while I didn't react to the anticipation test since I had figured it out, I did have stress when anticipating the upcoming tests. 

I am looking forward to seeing how biofeedback works for me. I will keep you all updated!