Nat Geo Explorer Struck By Lightning

I learned some new things during this show! It was amazing. I have never stared at the tv for so long without blinking. haha.

A lot of the “survivors” had weird memory problems due to the brains reaction to the really strong electricity. They did fMRI’s on survivor’s brains and showed them a video of blinking dots one after another and then after the last dot disappears the person has to remember where it was on the screen. They found that more brain areas react but it’s at lower levels. The frontal lobe has little reaction when the person is thinking of where the dot was. So in essence they have to think harder because their brain is just not reacting normally. Which I have to tell you, I find this to be true. I often have to close my eyes and forget about outside stimuli in order to remember where I put something. Even at work I find myself forgetting silly things and have to strain to remember where an item is.

Most lightning survivors also have strange physical pains in different parts of the body that can't be pin-pointed to any specific thing. (Remember you of my back pain?) Doctors say it's mostly related to the nervous system damage that the lightning causes as it electrifies the body. It damages the nerves and when they are damaged they lose their sense of when to let the body know there is pain present.

I found some doctors in Chicago that are specialists in the human body after it’s been struck by lightning, so I’m researching them because it would be great to know more. I just wish folks, especially the university admissions office, would know about my struggle and it’s hard to express to people, or even admit, that I’m just not what I used to be! In all honesty, I downplay lightning, but I do think it’s a cause of some of the negative issues in my life. A lot of the times people just wish they would have died so they didn’t have to deal with the lifelong effects of being a lightning survivor.

P.S. I know people don’t think much about lighting, and think it’s pretty, which I agree, but it’s not taken seriously and I think people need to really take care of themselves and get inside with any inclination of a storm approaching. Just like the bomb-squad t-shirt says “if you see me running, you better run too,” the same goes for me and lightning. If you see me go indoors before a storm, you should too!

3 years and counting

3 years of back pain. Some days you can barely move, some days it would feel better if someone stabbed you because that would be less painful. Thought about crashing a car to go to the hospital to get some medicine to make the pain go away.

X-rays in 2007 and 2010
Ultrasound
MRI
Spine Specialist in 2008
Physical Therapy

I am tired of living with pain. I am tired of having to leave work because I can't move my body. I am tired of canceling plans because I can't function because of the pain. I am tired of sitting in the fetal position for hours to make the pain 5% less. I hate not being able to sit through a movie for 2 hours because I have to switch which butt cheek I am sitting on because the pain is shotting up my back. I hate living every single day with the thought that something is wrong with my back at age 27 and it's never going to get better...

The doctor won't give me pain medicine because he things I will become addicted or something.

Now I have to go BACK to the Spine Specialist, even though my X-rays taken today look absolutely normal. What is the point of going to the Spine Specialist if my back is fine? I don't know. They keep going in circles on the diagnosis. They have absolutely no idea why I am in pain. Now I don't even know if they believe me in my conquest to find what is wrong with me. If in fact, it's not all in my head... Whatever....

I just want some solace in knowing what is wrong and how to fix it. Otherwise, I am going to go CRAZY.

SICK AND TIRED!!!

I have been dealing with debilitating back pain for 2 and a half years now, and every month it just seems to get worse and worse and worse...

I have missed 2 sick days every month since January through Mid-May which is not like me at all! I am normally the one not using up any sick or vacation time. But when your body refuses to do anything but roll into a ball on the bed, it's pretty hard to go into work let alone make it to the kitchen to eat anything...

So I have been to the doctor about 10 times over the past 2 years, 1 spine specialist, and 1 Chiropractic Doctor. I have had X-Rays, Ultrasounds, CT scans, and an MRI...and they say I am perfectly healthy. (Sure, that's right...because everyone has back pain so terrible that they stay in bed for 2 days straight too.)

The last Chiropractic Doctor said it was something to do with my L5 vertebrae, but I am thoroughly convinced he was trying to sell me his $4200 Spinal Decompression procedure... However after 1 free session, my back was sore, and moved into the worst back pain I have every experienced. I called into sick for 2 days, with my upper left arm basically attached to my side because I couldn't move it. (of course this mistake almost cost me my job.) SO sorry my brain could only function enough to handle the phone let think about emails, or phone calls, or clients.

However at this point, the doctors are not aware that the pain has caused me to miss so much work I could lose my job. I am so fed up with dealing with pain EVERY DAY of my life for the past 2 and a half years. I try not to burden anyone with my pain, because it's not their fault and I don't want to draw attention to myself, but I constantly feel it every day, every second. I am great at hiding my feelings.I am not sure if this is a good or bad thing.

At this time I DESPERATELY need help because I can barely function at work, I still enjoy events with friends, but have to medicate myself to even start to enjoy myself. If you see me more quiet than usual, it means I need more pain medication...I am terribly depressed because I have not lived a normal life for over 2 years. I try to exercise because they say it helps, but I have no energy to run the track. I can walk around a few times, but then I have to come home and rest for an hour. I feel like I am 80 in a 27 year old body.

Please God, will you look upon my body and bless it with healing and positive energy so I can live a life worth living. I need this for myself and for my family, as well as for my sanity! I can't go on much more with this pain.