Let the games begin!

So, it is, as they say, that time of year again. It's two days until Christmas, my fiance Vinnie and I leave tomorrow to spend the holidays in AL with his family, I'm still up to my ears with law school applications, I haven't finished my personal statement or any of my essays, I'm broke, and I'm up to my ears in medical bills. Merry Christmas, hohoho. :P

The personal statement necessary for my law school applications blows my mind. In approximately 2 pages, I am to give the Admissions Council members a clear idea of who I am, what makes me 'ME', and, if possible, how that ties in to why I want to go to law school and what I want to do with my JD. A daunting task, if you ask me. How on earth does one express their 'essence', for lack of a better word, in just 2 pages? What is it about me that would matter, that would stand out to these people? I've started writing the blessed thing 2 or 3 times now, and I'm just not getting anywhere. *sigh* I'll keep you posted on how it turns out... perhaps I'll post a draft or two here on my blog. We'll see.

In regards to the backed-up medical bills, over the past year or so I have been poked and prodded and examined so many times by so many doctors that it's ridiculous. My current diagnosis is hypothyroidism and fibromyalgia. Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) is a condition in which your thyroid gland doesn't produce enough of certain important hormones, causing:
Fatigue
Sluggishness
Increased sensitivity to cold
Constipation
Pale, dry skin
A puffy face
Hoarse voice
An elevated blood cholesterol level
Unexplained weight gain
Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
Muscle weakness
Heavier than normal menstrual periods
Brittle fingernails and hair
Depression

Fortunately, with medication, it is easily controlled. Fibromyalgia, on the other hand, is 'manageable'. It is a chronic pain disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches, pain and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue, and sleep disturbances. Other lovely symptoms include:

Widespread Pain
Morning Stiffness
Fatigue
Vision Problems
Nausea
Sleep Disorders
Urinary and Pelvic Problems
Weight Gain
Dizziness
Chronic Headaches
Cold Symptoms
Temperomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndromes
"Fibrofog": Cognitive or Memory Impairment
Skin Problems (sensitivity, hives, etc.)
Chest Symptoms
Anxiety
Depression
Dysmenorrhea
Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Muscle Twitches and Weakness
Memory Loss
Menstrual Problems
Troubles Breathing

So yeah, how fun is that? Glad to hear though that the doctors can offer me 'some degree of relief'... *sigh* I know it could be worse, but knowing that it won't ever get better and will always effect my day-to-day life is still a hard pill to swallow. The cognitive issues make me even more nervous about my upcoming law school years... what happens if I have a flare during class? During mock-trial? An exam? Can a person get a doctor's excuse saying, "Please excuse me from X and allow me to do it some other time because some days I'm just stupid." Probably not. My sister sent me a button on facebook that says, "I cannot brain today, I have the dumb." I want this on a shirt. I guess I'll just try to manage my symptoms the best I can... and pray.

Well, that's where I am right now. Not much else to say at the moment... Hopefully my next post will be more entertaining to read.