Social Security Hearing

     Sorry I haven't updated for awhile, school is exhausting. So, I'm taking this Animal Science Class at Century College. It's a high school program so I'm surrounding by like, juniors and seniors.  Which isn't the exhausting part, they're pretty awesome. Not to mention I get my face washed by a different ferret everyday. Let's go through the list of animal experiences I have had in the past week and half. One, attacked by a macaw named Carmen, a bat was on my head (totally unrelated), Walked a ferret, Ferret went down my short, bit by a rat, ferret licked my face, barked at by a chinchilla, and that's only the beginning. This week I was the produce manager, which is pretty much a fancy way of saying "Food Supervisor". I had to go take inventory of the food, treats, and such on monday. On Tuesday, I had to chop it all up and prepare it. And I cleaned three refrigerators. Not one, not two, but THREE fucking refrigerators. The last one was like a puzzle and it's death will be my holiday. But I kicked it's ass, so everything's fine. Then yesterday I didn't do shit, because I didn't know what to do. I mean, I already sort of did everything, so I kind of kind of just played with the animals. Rabbits are HUGE. But that's just by the way.
     So I have a social security hearing today, so I can get some sort of income. I'll let everyone know how it went later. I'm not really sure what to expect, I just know to be quiet. Because if I talk, I'll fuck it all up. I'm just gonna speak when I'm spoken to, otherwise, my mom can deal with it.

Cute Boys and Condoms on a Stick

     The State Fair had something new this year, something I wasn't expecting. And it made me laugh harder than a llama on ecstasy. This year, the State Fair had: Condoms on a Stick. Not fried or anything, just a condom. On a stick. Hilarious right? They were giving them away at the Pro Choice Booth. Now, if you know anything about the Minnesota State Fair, you'd know there are a plethora of informational booths there. 
     Most informational booths usually give out some sort of SWAG (Stuff We All Get, for those of you who aren't familiar). Swag usually consists of stickers, buttons, or candy. Sometimes even pencils! So naturally, I was inclined to take the candy they were passing out. Only to find out it was not what I thought it was. I surprised to find out it wasn't a sucker like I thought, but in fact, a condom. And not the yummy candy kind either. A bonafide fucking condom. I laughed so hard.
     So, after about another hour of state fair antics, I found my friend Wes and his girlfriend, Chelsey. While we waited for Wes to buy us cookies ( which weren't that good by the way), Chels showed me a picture of her friend Eric. He was pretty cool, Eric and I talked music for about a good ten minutes, reptiles for another five, and then walked to the international bazaar. They were the only place that sold Virgin Bloody Marys. For four dollars. But that's not the point- the POINT is that it was amazing. The spicier the better. I bought one earlier that day and it was delicious, so I went back to get another one. All in all, I spent maybe eight dollars on them. 
     On a side note, I also paid three dollars to pet a water monitor. It was awesome. The whole snake place was pretty cool. The had Timberland snakes, and rattlers, they even had anacondas. Did I mention I got to pet a water monitor? Yeah, a water monitor. I'm gonna be a herpetologist. Did I mention that already? No? Well, now I have.

Epilepsy is NOT funny.

     I make jokes about being epileptic from time to time- because I am. Or sometimes if one of my friends does something laughable or idiotic I might say, "Are you having a seizure?", but the fact remains that it's one of the leading neurological disorders in the country. And it's not easy to live with, not in the least. 
     For the most part I live a very comfortable life, but there's so many things other people age can do that I can't. If I had to name one thing off the top of my head, it would be driving. I see all these sixteen year old kids in their fancy cars, and I'm filled with a seething jealousy. When I was sixteen, you know what I was doing? I was lying in a hospital bed at United Hospital with wires protruding from my head. Not to mention that I had to sell my tickets to a Tokio Hotel concert that will probably never happen again. 
     As I've gotten older and gained a greater understanding of my disability, it's gotten easier for me to see how many people are so ignorant of it. I'm becoming an adult now and I've to deal with a whole host of other problems. A lot of them relating to the United States Government. It's been at least a year since I've applied for Social Security and Disability benefits. And guess what? I still haven't gotten them. My mother had to hire an attorney, and I have a court date. Even with that, I still feel like I haven't made any progress. Not to mention being nineteen and still living at home. THAT is frustrating. It's like I'm trapped. If there are any other epileptics out there, my age or other, who could help me- or even just share your experience with epilepsy, please reach out. Send an email or something. I would love to know someone like myself.

Creatively Amused.

     I was browsing the internet and I found this really cute blog called Creatively Amused. The woman who writes it, Deb Silva, is just so amazing. All of her journal pages are just so well done and quite vintage. I wish I could be as creative as her, I mean, I've done some scrapping in my spare time, but nothing serious. If you want to check her out, I'll post the link. 
     http://creativelyamused.blogspot.com

Meet Micah Bixby

     The cutest little boy alive. My nephew, Micah- he's about two. A cute little boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. He's adorable. I remember when he didn't say a word, but now he won't shut up. But he's smart too. Which of course doesn't surprise me in the least bit, we're a smart family- well, for the most part. He says so many words now, a few of them being: boobs, "Come on", "Let's go", "Thank you", and "Ella". That's right, he says my name. He sounds so cut when he says it too. We don't usually have him on Thursdays, so when my dad sent me a text saying he would be late, you can imagine how surprised I was. Especially since he said the reason he would be late was because he was picking up Micah. 
     I even gave him a bath this morning. And he loved it! He was just playing and splashing around like no one's business. This surprised me too since the last time I gave him a bath, he pretty much threw a fit. He was also younger though, so maybe, JUST maybe, he grew up mentally too. I mean, his brain is certainly developing. I don't see how it couldn't. Unless he was in a permanent stasis or something. That would hardcore. But whatever, he's my little man.
     Anyway, on another more somber note, I'm going into the minute Clinic at CVS to find out what's really wrong with my throat. I think it's tonsillitis. But what do I know right? I'll tell you what I do know- it hurts when I swallow food. Or water. And that's not supposed to happen. So I'm just gonna take whatever the clinic tells me with a grain of salt. 

Well I could have told you that.

     So I checked with my mother and apparently my throat looks, "Red, swollen , and icky". And I am still as miserable as before. Two days before I'm supposed to be at the state fair and four days before school starts. That can't happen for me. 
     Also, while I was looking up what strep throat might look like I came across this picture and it made me laugh. I just thought I'd share it.

     
It's good right? Well, I thought so anyway. Back to my mother's diagnosis- "Red, Swollen, and Icky". As if I didn't know it was like that from the way my throat feels when I swallow. You sound like Anna Faris; I know my body, and I know something is wrong. I felt it with mono, and this feels the exact same way. "Red, Swollen, and Icky"- Really mom? Thanks for the hot tip.

This is bullshit.

    With my array of health problems, it's no big surprise that I have more than one Doctor. And having done this since I was about three years old, I'm no stranger to medical procedures. Yesterday I made an appointment with my regular Doctor. Not my Neurologist, not my therapist, not the school nurse, just my regular Doctor. 
    So, I made the appointment because I've not been feeling too well the past couple of days. My throat looks like a red swollen puss filled volcano, I have a constant headache, I've been going to bed earlier than a senior citizen, and I'm in a constant state of nausea and irritability. Also, I had to get blood drawn. 
    When I got there, this is what went down: I went to the lab, got my blood drawn, and had a nice conversation about vampires with the person who was taking my blood. Is that ironic? I think so. Then, since I had to receive a throat swab they sent me back into the lobby where a found a very informative book about Princesses. Fifteen minutes later, they call me in, do all the normal stuff when you get a check up, and after about a million years, swab my throat. 
     He leaves, and a good half an hour passes- I don't mind, I'm reading my book. The nurse who took the swab said he would be back in maybe five or ten minutes. Finally, my stepfather is tired of waiting and comes to get me. Just as we're leaving the nurse comes up and tells me I don't have strep and nothing's wrong. Which is crazy, because pain like this isn't fucking normal. It shouldn't hurt your throat when you sneeze, that's all I'm saying. 
     Then he wants to go get me my AVS (after visit summary) to help me with what I can do to take care of my throat. My thinking is, at least they'll tell me how to get rid of it or treat it or whatever. I should be so lucky. 
     I get the AVS and it tells me how to take care of two things: Common Cold Symptoms and Cough. I don't have either of those. My throat looks like a swollen red landscape with snow covered hills- chances are I probably have strep throat. Anyway, I'm waiting for my mother to come home so she can take a look at it, she was a paralegal at a medical malpractice firm. Apparently that makes her like, a medical savant. Maybe she'll have an idea about what it looks like.