It’s been since August 12th that I posted my last blog post. I’ve read that it’s “bad business” on a blog to point out how much time has passed if you’ve taken some sort of hiatus, which is exactly what I’ve done. Let me be honest with you: I lost my job back in July. I was devastated. It was quite abrupt. I went in to work on a Friday and was told at approximately 11:30 a.m. to pack up my stuff, go home, and to not return; they were making “budget cuts.” Not going to lie — I cried. I’ve been working since I was 16 (ah, the good old days, when I had my first job at Pac Sun), and in the last 18 years, I’ve never been let go from a job before, especially one that I put nearly three years into.
That’s when I posted Grammar vs. Syntax, just a couple of weeks after being let go, thinking I would continue blogging. The truth was that I was navigating the emotional woes of being unemployed. But I made it. I decided not to return to work, due to my mental illness. Honestly? Being let go from that job was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. I was having near-constant hallucinations due to the stress of working; I was constantly sick with my bipolar. I was having tactile and auditory hallucinations, thinking bugs were crawling all over me and in my hair, whispering horrible, evil things to me.
All throughout August, I was attempting to pick up the pieces of my life and recover from being so damn unhealthy. I’m healthier than ever now and have had my longest period of stability in quite some time. I haven’t had ECT (shock therapy) since March. I’m managing better sleep, choosing healthier habits such as eating better, and enjoying time with my husband, my parents, my sister, my nephews. I never could have managed that while working.
I also want to mention that my dog (who is an old man at 13, has had diabetes since he was 3, has cataracts from his diabetes, and has arthritis) began having seizures just before Thanksgiving. I rushed him to an emergency veterinarian, who said he mostly likely either had a stroke or has a brain tumor. Wilson, my dog, gets anti-seizure meds four times a day now, and I never would have been able to manage that if I had been working.
Which brings me back to this blog. I’m finally ready to return to managing The Lithium Writer. I’ve got some blog posts planned already and some ideas I’d like to try out. I’m pretty excited, in case you couldn’t tell!
So, in a way, I’m apologizing for my absence if you follow this blog. I know it’s been some time, but I had my reasons (mainly my health), and I hope you enjoy the upcoming posts in the next few weeks!