No sedation on the wild and precious pathless path

No Sedation

I am at my desk the little dog is moaning at me, she wants out yet again. On my headset, I am listening to a book, the pathless path, so it's easy to get and take miss naughty paws out for a walk down the street and back. I keep on listening to the book. Mark my words; audio books are an excellent tool. I have read so much more since I have been ill. The pathless path is the walk my dog will take me on.

Last week I had my intestines examined with a camera on a hose at Keck hospitals new facility. It's very advanced. Most people get a scope when they are 50 and a few times after. My Crohn's requires extensive yearly probes. So I feel like the magician's assistant getting sawed in half three shows a night. Therefore, I have learned to tolerate the procedure without going under. With no sedation, I can see what the doctor is doing and drive home afterward. On first pass my gizzards looked spectacular and adequately moist.

Bad news good news.

However, I was bumbed-out Tuesday night when I took a call from my doctor letting me know, based on the samples they took of my tissue, that my Crohn's disease had returned to my intestines and I would be going back on the drug treatment. I had been allowed to stopped most of my drugs last September after surgery. At that time, I was Crohn's free. The drug, stellar, is a biologic used to treat several autoimmune illnesses like mine. My husband asked me about the side effects. I told him it would make me funnier and way more desirable. I was quickly compelled to confess there would be no side effects. So I must be naturally amusing and alluring. I live in hope.

What I am working on this week, or "let's call it a draw."

Outstanding news earlier in the day on Tuesday. The judge who heard my disability case wrote back and ruled in my favor. I had a hearing last month to appeal for disability benefits. This letter states that I was fully approved.

This is a new path for me. I have been stressed about my functionality. Workman's disability from the state lasted one year. I remember thinking I would be all patched up and back to work in four months. As it turns out, I have been sidelined for six years with no end in sight.

There are more administrative steps to follow. Since my case has been pending for a few years, I received a lump sum retroactively. When I saw it show up in my checking account it made me feel like the house elf who got a pair of socks. Now I am thankful that I can contribute more to our livelihood. A burden that my husband has had to shoulder. He has been so stressed about being able to support both of us.

I was going to call it a draw between good and bad news in one day, but now that I have written it out, I think the good news outweighs the bad news.

What am I reading this week?

I finished reading The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd. It was recommended by Ali Abdaal, who you can find on Youtube.com. The book follows the popular notion that we can live well outside the rat race. In the same spirit as the 4-hour work week by Tim Ferris. Paul tried his hand at consulting, going solo to work remotely, and is currently a writer and coach. I thought his insights would help me focus on my wandering path with the new postitves and negatives to sort out.

Takeaways

I liked a few of the takeaways he shared in the last chapter. First, be generous. It is a superpower. Be patient; things happen in their own time. Make a friend. People will tell you about their experiences much more readily than expected. Lastly, look at your situation in reverse; you might find new lessons and solutions.

Also, I need to take a break from motivational books. It's obvious when an author sites someone who I have already read that the material is getting low on tread. I am going to look for some new fiction or history.