A Life-changing​ or not?

This is me – Jean living out in the rural life since moving out of the Hamilton City four years ago.

Currently, my work roles – a deaf community support worker, an advocator for people/children with disabilities, tutor, a deaf historian/researcher, a Health & Safety Representative and a blogger. My past work roles were a data entry/bank officer/payroll officer/budgeting adviser, a data entry for the Farming database, a deaf health carer/assistant/home help for many disabled people/children/seniors including cancer patients and a teacher aide for children/teenagers with disabilities and behaviour problems.

WOW! that is a massive amount of skills I have experience in my work area.

Yesterday I posted a blog about cancer and a shock new to the Deaf community. When someone died or passed away, and this person had a unique gift/skill to share or to use the ability back in the community. Cruel cancer or another kind of life threating such as in a car accident, become paralysis and ended up in a wheelchair, robbed a person’s life and skill away.

Recently I got the report back from the specialist at the Waikato Hospital and I visited my GP last month. After discussing with my Gp and I spoke to my hearing partner about my diagnose. We accepted to change the mobility adjustment/modification things at home and in the garden. I must force myself to rest the day before the work/conference/workshop appointment and the day after as well to take a physio treatment if I need one. My symptom is not a life threating, but it is a life changing of my abilities around the home, garden and work. I must take care of myself before I do something STUPID!!!  It is called Probable chronic right C7/C8 radiculopathy (including C5/C6) – Cervical DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE.

Over the previous three years, I was suffering a lot of pain and getting exhausted almost daily, and my ability to do around the house and at work were difficult to get the tasks done. I visited the specialists and have the EMG & Nerve Conduction studies twice, and two MRI scans in the past.

The photo of me above, this was taken on one beautiful frosty morning with sunshine over me on my work to work – the library where I teach a small group of learning disabilities youths and their staff in NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language). Inside me, there were hidden pains and I went to work with a brave face.

Today I stayed home and woke up to find a bit of sunshine peeping through the window while the dogs slept with me in a large bed.

YEP – Three big dogs in one bed!              

Fancy seeing the cherry tree is full of blooming cherry flowers on a gloomy morning. The weather was horrible – rainy, windy and cold morning for me. The sign of this mean SPRING is almost here!

Starting a new way of changing the adapting things and equipment around the house, garden and workplace NOW.