Personal Update......

 7.29.09 Well, it's been awhile since I've been back to the DS forum.....it's been a rough 4 months.  Last time I posted I had just suffered a TIA in early February and another episode in late April...not as bad but still another TIA.........Mid May I was laid off from my job.  As many of you know I've been in the Architectural field for some 30 years..... at the firm I was a Designer/Sr. Project Manager and had agreed during the interview process to stay as long as they needed me or as long as I enjoyed the work.  The majority of our work was county detention centers (jails), judical centers and sheriff's offices.......well due to the economy that source of projects has all but dried up.  Most are paid for by bonds or tax referendums and those just aren't flying in most communities.  I was called in  by the Principals and told that someone was going to have to be let go..... I voluntered to be the one.... the others are all younger and are just getting started in their careers and most have very young children as well.  Me... I've had a great career and my kids are grown and to be honest I was thinking it was time to start slowing down........the two TIA's set me back and truthfully it was getting harder and harder to get through the day.  So I guess I retired early without the retirement pay........thank gawd the wife's job is secure and has our benifits.  I've been focusing on the house renovation, which is slowly coming along cause I'm only good for about half a days work before I have to knock off .........but I'm still listening to what my body is telling me and have to responsive to the signals....... the bad days I just have to let it all go and rest.  This week has been pretty much a total wash out........Sunday morning I woke up with the area behind my left ear on fire, by Monday morning I had a series of blisters forming up across my scalp to my forehead.....a quick trip to the Dr. confirmed  my fears........Shingles.  Currently I look like something out of "B" grade horror movie.... the blisters have progressed down my forehead , around my left  eye and down to my jaw.....the eye is pretty much swollen shut  and the rest of the left side of my face is swollen and blistered......... fun, fun, fun...... the antiviral meds should handle the virus part and for now the pain meds are taking care of the pain when I can't take it anymore........feels like nerve is on fire and the optic nerve is super sensitive to any light.........(really hard typing this with sunglasses on at night). My Dr. asked me if I was under alot of stress while looking at my chart.........then he stopped, shook his head and looked up at me smiling and said you think we can sell your wife on a fly fishing trip to CO as part of the treatment........he actually wrote a prescription just for that to give to my wife.  He wants to learn how to fly fish and I told him I would be willing to teach him..........I guess we'll have to try another tactic........the wife didn't buy it.  Sometimes it gets to be too much .......... I was dealing with the ever present fog  (depression) hanging just off the edge of the picture..... somedays it comes in with the tide and somedays it just hangs out there.......the first month out of work I kept pretty busy (maybe to busy) and it pretty much stayed at bay........the second month I had more bad days then good days and the fog crept in ever so slowly........just when I thought I had it back under control this hits me........that's the way it seems being acro, you never know what's around the bend and it messes with your mind. This month's blood work came back good  though.... IGF-1 levels are around 90 (the lowest they've ever been since diagnosed), but the thyroid levels are off, as well as the tesosterone levels...... it's always something isn't it.  But... this too shall pass.........I'm just pissed cause the weather has been beautiful here lately and I've missed some really good rides lately.........the iron horse wants to be let out of the garage and it's always therputic  to get out in the wind......