Today I logged in to the SS website and my disability case is in step 4, final review process, which usually takes 2-4 weeks. I am ecstatic because my progress has been stuck for SO LONG, in step three, and step 3 of the reconsideration was estimated to take 2-5 months, and that started on August 24th. So longer than 5 months. I have been so stuck in frustration and stagnation.
But life goes on and good things are happening here.
Before I get too far off base, I have to stop and say thank you. Thank you for prayers, for help, for caring, for still reading this blog that has gotten a bit sour. Thank you. I am so grateful for the people who send their positive energy, say prayers to God above, send love, stay in touch and care for us in big and small ways. Thank you for constantly and consistently reminding me that I'm loved. You are a big piece of why I haven't completely given up.
We still don't know how we're going to do this thing called life and we still covet your support. But Jadyn is working at (and loving her job at) Home Depot. She works part time and averages around 25 hours a week. She maxes out her body physically doing this. But the positive is that she loves it, we're gaining on nerve and muscle pain management, and we're still working with a doctor to continue pain management. These are gains in her health. We are also striving to incorporate more foods that are in an anti-inflammatory diet and cutting out foods that lead to more inflammation. This is not easy, but we are gaining. Jadyn hopes to go full time at some time and one thing we're excited about the hope of taking care of ourselves and not relying on the goodness of our loved ones and friends. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We have to pace ourselves and not overdo and it's still hard. We want to run wild!
My knees are getting steadily better. Today I woke up with stiff knees and noticed a little bit of hobbling, but most days I have little limp and hobble. I have to be careful. It never ceases to amaze me that I wear out faster than I "should" and that long stints of standing are overwhelming. Too much movement is wearing. But lack of those, is also wearing. It is just part of healing and I need to continue to remind myself that it just takes time. and more time. But I am moving forward. I am looking toward fall and see myself teaching again (praying things fall into place for this).
Currently I'm working on renewing my teaching license, getting license renewal submitted, getting fingerprints and filing this all.
We're working on getting eggs in the incubator. I'll go check the humidity level when I finish typing this. Once the humidity level is where it needs to be, I'll put duck eggs in and set the countdown for 28 days. We have materials to finish out chicken and duck pens in the barn and we'll be set to have all our birds in reasonably sized pens for night, with ducks and chickens (and geese) free-ranging during the days.
Another next step for me, will be to get garden vegetables planted and started in the house. We have a good start on some rich compost dirt for our garden.
These things feel like good progress. But here comes some really great things....
Carrie got a car!!!!! I have been given a car, a 2006 Pontiac Grand Am, with title in hand and ready to drive. I cannot contain my excitement about this.
We have the parts to fix Jadyn's car. We cannot find the one and only key. So we are looking into next steps to obtain a key to move on and get this done!
I also got a phone. My phone was so sick, so close to dead. Sometimes it would turn on and sometimes it wouldn't. Sometimes I could make a call, but most times not. I have a few two-step verification accounts (one of them being the Social Security Disability site) that involve sending a code to my phone. Sometimes it would take more than 10 minutes to successfully retrieve these codes and they would be expired by then. So for 2 weeks or so I've had a WORKING phone and I'm SO grateful. My sweetheart bought this for me and I couldn't be more grateful.
So much goodness happening....
Still stuck in that holding pattern, but there's movement!! Yay!
Thank you again for reading, for responding, for helping, for staying on the journey with us.
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