The music that you are hearing is Star Keeper by Elan Micheals The above image is from my very talented spirit brother Mike Pendergast. Thank You MIKE!!!This page is sort of a journal, to record my progress as I get farther and farther out from my strikes, it gives me something to benchmark my progress with. Please forgive me if part of it seem whiney, I have had very severe bouts of depression, and most likely the parts where I seem to be crying around were written during that those times.We sold the mobile home in November of 1999, and bought a wonderful 2 story Early American/Federal style home that we are currently restoring. I was still finding out what my alterations were from the first strike (there are no set guidelines as to what can happen, symptoms can take years to develop, and have been known to change and evolve over time) when I was hit again almost 15 months later! I have found solace and support in an on line lightning strike survivors support group at http://www.yahoogroups (you have to search for lightning strike). My husband did not believe me when I told him about the second strike in October, but my daughter later confirmed it by mentioning that she felt a current in the metal frame of her bunk bed (the kind with the futon on the bottom) and he started to believe me then. So far the entire house seems to be intact from strike 2, or so we think after a careful inspection. Credibility is a big issue with most survivors. Most people do not believe that I was hit once, let alone twice, or that I am "making up" my symptoms. BULLSHIT. What I have to go through every day is painfully real for not only myself, but the other survivors as well. I have migraines, where I was not a sufferer before, I have internal scarring in both wrists, a legacy of strike #1, repeated bouts of lung infections and irritations, panic attacks, severe depression, sleeplessness, and/or insomnia, pronounced dyslexia which I had before strike #1, a dramaticaly shortened attention span vs. what I had before. The list goes on and on. I also have a severe memory impairment that I did not have before strike #1. I can walk in to a room, and 5 minutes later not remember why I am there. There are days that I literally cannot remember my name! My family and I are able to laugh about it, but it is so very frustrating to deal with! My kids think that it is wonderful as I will often forget that I have grounded them for some reason! This is an obvious disadvantage when I am on the job because I am a server in a local restaraunt. The strikes have also affected my monthly cycle, I have stronger PMS than I did pre-strike, and I am subject to extreme mood swings and severe depression. It is comporable to being Bi Polar, I think, although I have never been diagnosed as being Bi Polar. I am currently taking any medications for my symptoms, including Clonezapam, and Paxil. I have since learned that I do not need the validation of others to prove what happened was real. I know and that is enough for me. Right now for my self and my fellow survivors, it is one day at a time. It is a challenge to survive my every day life. I will be adding to and updating this page periodically , so please keep checking back to see what is new! Remember, we ARE survivors, not victims, because when you become a victim is when you give up hope of changing. To be a survivor is the first step on the long long road to recovery. Ohan, Mitakuye Oyasin. An update to my story, I finaly found a Neurologist who is willing to treat me (in 2000), and am now on a regular schedule of meds and vitamins and minerals to help maintain where I am in my recovery, and to encourage what progress forward I may still make. I know that I will never be 100% again, and I can live with that, but I also want to regain some of what was lost... Since I have started treatment with the Nuerologist, I have started taking Ametriptyline (I have since stopped taking it because I am one of the lucky people who gain a LOT of weight while taking it), Paxil, time release B12, B6, a Multi B, a good multi vitamin,calcium and vitamin D, potassium supplements, and vitamin C. I have noticed that my migraines are under control, and I sleep a lot more ,and I get better quality sleep than I did before. I am also much easier to get along with. There have been side effects, but I think that I can live with them at this point.On the bright side, I am much healthier than I was 6 months ago! I have had an EEG which came back normal which is good news because there is no sign of what we had suspected could be siezure activity.I am learning all over again how to develop mnemonic devices to help me remember things, and am also learning how to force myself to concentrate on what I am doing. To say that I am easily distracted is an understatement, (chuckling...) After several episodes of violence in my sleep, and lots of un explained twitching, we suspect that I may be having complex partial siezures, and have started meds to help with that. There is no firm diagnosis to confirm this, as my siezures will not come up on an EEG or CT or MRI unless I have an episode during the testing, and since the episodes are so sporadic, it is pointless to try. Now comes the period of introspection, why did this happen to me, and why did I get off so easily where others have not? I don't think I will ever know. I am just grateful to have what I have, and to have survived this long! My Links Page My LinksPage Email: spottedeaglehorse2@home.com
The music that you are hearing is Star Keeper by Elan Micheals
The above image is from my very talented spirit brother Mike Pendergast.
Thank You MIKE!!!
This page is sort of a journal, to record my progress as I get farther and farther out from my strikes, it gives me something to benchmark my progress with.
Please forgive me if part of it seem whiney, I have had very severe bouts of depression, and most likely the parts where I seem to be crying around were written during that those times.
We sold the mobile home in November of 1999, and bought a wonderful 2 story Early American/Federal style home that we are currently restoring.
I was still finding out what my alterations were from the first strike (there are no set guidelines as to what can happen, symptoms can take years to develop, and have been known to change and evolve over time) when I was hit again almost 15 months later! I have found solace and support in an on line lightning strike survivors support group at http://www.yahoogroups (you have to search for lightning strike).
My husband did not believe me when I told him about the second strike in October, but my daughter later confirmed it by mentioning that she felt a current in the metal frame of her bunk bed (the kind with the futon on the bottom) and he started to believe me then. So far the entire house seems to be intact from strike 2, or so we think after a careful inspection.
Credibility is a big issue with most survivors.
Most people do not believe that I was hit once, let alone twice, or that I am "making up" my symptoms. BULLSHIT.
What I have to go through every day is painfully real for not only myself, but the other survivors as well. I have migraines, where I was not a sufferer before, I have internal scarring in both wrists, a legacy of strike #1, repeated bouts of lung infections and irritations, panic attacks, severe depression, sleeplessness, and/or insomnia, pronounced dyslexia which I had before strike #1, a dramaticaly shortened attention span vs. what I had before. The list goes on and on. I also have a severe memory impairment that I did not have before strike #1. I can walk in to a room, and 5 minutes later not remember why I am there. There are days that I literally cannot remember my name! My family and I are able to laugh about it, but it is so very frustrating to deal with! My kids think that it is wonderful as I will often forget that I have grounded them for some reason! This is an obvious disadvantage when I am on the job because I am a server in a local restaraunt.
The strikes have also affected my monthly cycle, I have stronger PMS than I did pre-strike, and I am subject to extreme mood swings and severe depression. It is comporable to being Bi Polar, I think, although I have never been diagnosed as being Bi Polar. I am currently taking any medications for my symptoms, including Clonezapam, and Paxil.
I have since learned that I do not need the validation of others to prove what happened was real. I know and that is enough for me.
Right now for my self and my fellow survivors, it is one day at a time. It is a challenge to survive my every day life.
I will be adding to and updating this page periodically , so please keep checking back to see what is new!
Remember, we ARE survivors, not victims, because when you become a victim is when you give up hope of changing. To be a survivor is the first step on the long long road to recovery.
Ohan, Mitakuye Oyasin.
An update to my story, I finaly found a Neurologist who is willing to treat me (in 2000), and am now on a regular schedule of meds and vitamins and minerals to help maintain where I am in my recovery, and to encourage what progress forward I may still make. I know that I will never be 100% again, and I can live with that, but I also want to regain some of what was lost...
Since I have started treatment with the Nuerologist, I have started taking Ametriptyline (I have since stopped taking it because I am one of the lucky people who gain a LOT of weight while taking it), Paxil, time release B12, B6, a Multi B, a good multi vitamin,calcium and vitamin D, potassium supplements, and vitamin C. I have noticed that my migraines are under control, and I sleep a lot more ,and I get better quality sleep than I did before. I am also much easier to get along with. There have been side effects, but I think that I can live with them at this point.
On the bright side, I am much healthier than I was 6 months ago!
I have had an EEG which came back normal which is good news because there is no sign of what we had suspected could be siezure activity.
I am learning all over again how to develop mnemonic devices to help me remember things, and am also learning how to force myself to concentrate on what I am doing. To say that I am easily distracted is an understatement, (chuckling...)
After several episodes of violence in my sleep, and lots of un explained twitching, we suspect that I may be having complex partial siezures, and have started meds to help with that. There is no firm diagnosis to confirm this, as my siezures will not come up on an EEG or CT or MRI unless I have an episode during the testing, and since the episodes are so sporadic, it is pointless to try.
Now comes the period of introspection, why did this happen to me, and why did I get off so easily where others have not? I don't think I will ever know. I am just grateful to have what I have, and to have survived this long!
My Links Page
My LinksPage
