I’ve finally come off the killer tablets. I start my post with that because the tablets have been so influential to my last six months which seem to have disappeared. Yes, when they prescribe you things you get told of the side effects, and when you get the bottle you read through the little white leaflet but reality is so far more removed from that. For “drowsiness” read “wanting to sleep 24/7” (and then not sleeping at all because they also cause “insomnia” – there is a contradiction for you), for fatigue read “you’ll be crawling on your hands and knees” and for “may cause weight gain” read “you’ll go up 2 dress sizes in 12 weeks or less”. Yes, they help with the PCT (Post Concussion Trauma) but at what cost to the overall quality of my life? I’ve now been prescribed with something more friendly with not so many side effects, so hopefully I am around for a while.
Why am I sharing this with you? I have a number of clients who have taken a personal interest in me since they’ve been successful in getting their dream job, or you’re probably wondering why some of my websites are out of date, and you might even dare to ask why the salary survey is so late. It also gives me some personal motivation to get 100% better – and that is what I aim to do. This is also going to track me in my bid in getting my balance back – and this time for good.
Let me explain in a little more detail. I was in a minor car crash with major consequences (April 2006) in that I didn’t find out I had concussion until two weeks later. This has left me with PCT. There are lots of parts of PCT some of which I have and some of which I don’t – they vary from person to person. One part of it I do have is that I lost my balance. In layman’s terms that means I can’t stand in a queue without wanting to sway or fall over, I can’t stand up on the tube or a bus, I can walk slowly looking at the ground, but when I look up it is like a whole different world where things seems disorientated and at times very scary. Oh and the room spins when I turn around or lie flat without the use of alcohol. (Thankfully I’m fine when I’m sitting down, which is why I am allowed to drive). I’m also very thankful that I am 80% well and 80% of me is functioning normally.
When the accident first happened I worked so hard, probably pushed myself too hard in fact, to get myself back to my day job, and got my balance back to a huge extent that I almost felt normal. But that was now in 2007. However, 10 days in hospital last year did me no favours, and I came out worse than I had been for months. Then I had to go in again for a swift operation and leave myself time to recoup from that. Having been housebound before I was determined that I wouldn’t be again and after taking advice I got myself a walking stick.
There are also other things that I’d like to share with you and which need a wider audience, about how my employers at the time behaved and hopefully to change your opinions of what it is like to be a disabled person and how differently I thought and felt. But more of that later.
And now to today. Monday 26th January 2009. Thanks to some new voice recognition software I’m starting to work on the bookcareers website and I can tell you that today is a happy day for at least three of my clients as they’ve got jobs in the past 5 weeks. Well done all of you.