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My Senior Project
I have officially finished my senior project. It has been an incredible challenge and gift to pursue this endeavor. It has helped me process my experiences. It also challenged me to think critically. I started this project with the question, “What does it mean to have a disability?” This question was as broad as I could get. I didn’t know what I wanted the end product to be. I didn’t know how much of my experience I wanted to share. Now, it’s done. I feel incredibly lucky to share this film with you. I hope you enjoy. I hope that your day is going well. I hope that your day…
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Moving Forward
The past few weeks I have been missing in action. There are a culmination of reasons why this is the case. The primary reasoning being that I’ve been overwhelmed. It’s not easy to admit that I’ve been doing too much but for a while that was very much the case. There were a few weeks that I felt completely spent, every single day I went to bed exhausted. I would wake up exhausted and eventually that caught up to me. It caught up to me in the form of an allergy attack. While I’d like to believe that stress was the main factor in this attack, it’s unlikely. If it…
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What to Expect With Knee Injections
I recently got cortisone injections in my knees. I had no idea what to expect. Googling let me down a lot of paths that honestly scared me more than anything. That’s par for the course when using the internet to give you any guidance on healthcare. I thought since I’ve now been through it and had similar injections in my hip that I’d let you know what to be prepared for. That way you don’t have to follow the same Google deep dive I did. Pain I would say that these shots were similar to my hip injections. Both types of injections are semi painful. By no means is it…
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I Got Knee Injections
It’s been six weeks since my latest hip surgery. The recovery has been a roller coaster of ups and downs. Most of that is to be expected, although some of it is harder than I would’ve imagined. My knees have become a significant problem. It’s something I anticipated but hoped would go away. I have had knee pain and issues since high school. It’s been a difficult endeavor to recover my hips without causing more problems for my knees. There are a lot of emotions surrounding this topic. It’s not easy to consistently have new problems that come up frequently. I’m extremely grateful for my care team. They are absolutely…
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Taking a Week Off
I’ve been blogging three times a week for quite a while. I’ve missed a few days here and there. For the most part, I’ve been consistent and it’s fueled my excitement for advocacy. That being said, I’ve gone through periods of burnout. I have gotten through them by focusing on my mental health. Through all of those ups and downs, I still managed to post tri-weekly. I am excited to say that I’m going on vacation for spring break and taking a week off. This vacation is about as covid safe as you can make a vacation. I’m vaccinated, doing a road trip, and staying in AirBnB’s. I need a…
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I Reacted to the Covid Vaccine
If you read my blog article on Wednesday, you know that I’m officially vaccinated. If not, you already probably guessed by the title that I am fully vaccinated. I had a lot of reservations about getting it due to my extensive history of allergic reactions. Ultimately, I knew that getting the vaccine was the best decision for me. I feel extremely lucky that I didn’t have anaphylaxis. That was by far my biggest fear. I made it through the fifteen minute screening processes. I left the facility feeling a bit invincible. Slowly, that feeling started to turn into panic. After about thirty minutes, my entire body started itching. I didn’t…
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Having a Job and Chronic Illness
If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I recently got hired at a company. I am a receptionist for a senior living facility. It’s a great fit for me. I absolutely love it so far and so does Crush. This is my fifth job but my first time having a job while being chronically ill. It’s not what I expected in a lot of ways but my employers have made the transition seamless. I knew that my work life would look different from the average person. Other than having Crush, I need various accommodations to ensure my health and safety. That ranges from simple things like eating at…
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Why I Chose To Get Vaccinated
I am officially vaccinated! I cannot believe it, I’m so excited. I received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine and as of today, I am considered fully vaccinated. This decision came with a lot of back and forth for me. I wasn’t sure whether I should get it or not. Not because I didn’t want it but because there was a question about whether I would have an allergic reaction. After being hospital free for over a year, the prospect of having a reaction was terrifying. Ultimately, I had to make the choice. After getting a job, it was clear that the risk of being exposed daily seemed too high. A…
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Where I Go From Here
If you read my article on Wednesday, you know I didn’t get into grad school. Well, I didn’t get into my top choice grad school. I have changed my plans. I’m applying to more. I am unwilling to give up on my Fall 2021 semester. That was one school out of the ten that I could apply to. I am a worthy applicant and my drive and passion for Disability Studies are evident. I found out Monday night and automatically looked at the deadline for my second choice. After giving myself Monday night to be upset, I pulled myself together. I went into task mode. I became very aware of…
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Getting Bad News
I don’t know how to put into words what I’m experiencing right now. Long story short, I didn’t get into the graduate school I wanted. That feels embarrassing and defeating to say to all of you but it’s the reality of my situation. When I got the news, I was beyond discouraged. I had put so much time, thought, and effort into applying for this school. I think this is a great learning experience. I knew that being denied acceptance was a possibility. It was always in the back of my mind. I stayed hopeful until I knew with absolute certainty, that was not my next step. I spent a…
