I'm back.

Today was filled with a delightful run, empowering yoga, a student's breakthrough, errands completed and flowers. I bought one cheap bouquet and trickled it around the house filling my home with beautiful fragrances and vibrant color.

After 2 months of doldrums and depression I think I am on the upswing. Last Wednesday I had a breakthrough. It was a delightful and beautiful day. I didn't have any clients. I slept in, of course, and milled around the house a bit. I decided to take Lola for a little stroll around the neighborhood when a dear friend called. Her and her beautiful son were at a bakery nearby so the pooch and I went to see them. It is hard to explain, but the combination of sun, a silly two-year old and an uplifting chat helped me keep going that day. When I got home I didn't waste my time in front of the computer or watch TV, I was productive! Since then, things have been great.

I have decided to begin freelance translation to supplement teaching. I am still trying to figure out how to actually go about creating my own business, but I am ready. It is perfect for me. I love reading and communicating. It is an awesome way to share my talents and learn about a variety of subjects. Last night I made myself an office. Through creative organization, I reorganized my living room so that there is a section dedicated only to work or study. I am organizing files, learning translation software, researching teaching tools... I am doing well. My next steps are to create a website. I want to create a website that will advertise Italian teaching and translation, with the hopes of adding Pilates instruction and doula/lactation consultation in the future. I am excited. I like being home. I don't miss showering in a hurry and rushing off to a job where I am not intellectually challenged or confronted with fake pleasantries. That isn't to say that I didn't have real relationships. I think I did. I still maintain contact with some coworkers. It is sad that I have lost contact with others I thought were close. But that's life. Crisis reveals a friendship's true colors.

I have come to terms with the fact that my real-estate investment is really a curse. Last week I found mold in my bedroom. Almost 1/3 of the floor is saturated and the walls are saturated 2ft from the floor. It sucks, but it also explains a lot. Not only have I been experiencing the symptoms of hypothyroidism, but also mold inhalation. After discussing the excruciating headaches and abnormal fatigue I have been experiencing in the past month, my doctor is starting to think the leak that caused the current mold/saturation problem has existed for quite some time. In can also be contributing Lola's inability to get over 9 months of pneumonia! Insurance sucks. They act like mold is a big deal and needs to be taken care of immediately, but then they wait a week to actually send an adjustor out to take a preliminary look at the damage. That is the first freakin step! That should have happened last Thursday. Oh well. We'll see. It looks like I'll need to hire 3 different contractors. The first to fix the outside leak. The second to dry out the walls and floors. The third to put in new walls and flooring.

Since Thursday the bedroom has been closed and I have set up a bed in the living room. I have already noticed a significant difference! My headaches aren't as piercing and I have a bit more energy. (I also found out my TSH levels haven't changed much since diagnosis. We changed the dose and added a few adrenal supports to my diet. That should also change my energy levels). I can run again!! Lola and I ran Greenlake and then I went to my favorite yoga class. I was able to run! We ran the entire lake. Just one week ago I couldn't run a mile. The fatigue (most likely mold induced) was overwhelming. I would be breathing hard and get hot quickly. I run on cold, so it was weird. I was able to zone into yoga, not just passively do the poses. It was a breakthrough! Just 5 days of not sleeping in a mold infested room. Crazy huh?