[SharS]

Hi Everyone:

I have really missed communicating with all of you, although I've tried my best to get on at least a few times a week and keep up with everyone. You've all been in my thoughts and prayers for good days.

The last I posted, we had made a trip to VA to see our daughter and grandsons, which was pretty tough on me. Then, we went to San Diego to see our son (a trip planned a year ago). My husband tried to get me to cancel the night before we were to leave, but I said no. It turned out to be a good trip for me. Southwest Airlines has great customer service for people that need assistance. They took me from curbside in a wheelchair to the plane and let us get on first and pick out our seats. We took the wheelchair with us everywhere and I actually used it , which helped a lot. I rested every day and most importantly, had a real break from all the business of home.

When we got back home, it was time to finish all the details for our youngest daughter's wedding (Sept 12th). Even though I tried to have everything organized so that I didn't get overworked the week of the wedding, it was unavoidable. But, I made it through everything and her wedding was perfect. Her wedding was outside at a beautiful llama farm in the mountains. The owner drove me around the property in a golf cart so I didn't have to walk at all, except up the aisle at the wedding. I did lose my voice the night of the rehearsal dinner, but stayed in bed the day of the wedding until time to get ready.

I feel like I am finally learning to make room in my life for MG and accepting help and learning my limitations. Speaking of limitations, I was approved for long term disability. I had pushed my doctor to approve me working 8 hours a week at the children's museum (the place I love so much) so he gave me a letter saying I could. But....when my claims specialist called his office when I was being evaluated for the long term disability, the nurse told the claims specialist my doctor wanted to speak to her personally. The claims specialist called me and told me all this herself - she said a doctor had never called her personally before and that she had never seen a doctor show so much concern for his patients.

He (my neuro) told her that I had coerced him to approve my working 8 hours and that he is completely opposed to it - that I should not work at all. She said he talked to her for 25 minutes. The long and short of it is that they all talked together - the disability people, my neuro, and my employer - and made me resign my position and go on the long term disability.

So.....I am getting used to it now, although I have cried for about 3 weeks straight (in the midst of the beautiful wedding). I am accepting it, though, and maybe even looking a little forward to being able to enjoy life more - definitely I'll be able to be on the forum now!

Anyway, I want to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers in my previous posts this summer as I have worked through all this, and I look forward to being more a part of the forum.

Take care everyone.