Recap

Alrighty, before I get sidetracked, I want to jump right in to a recap of this past week. Ready, set, GO..... lol (lalala...the coffee's kicking in..... :-) )

I'm surprised no one has asked me about the visit with the attorney or the doctor. People, people! lol

DOCTOR VISIT:

Okay, the doctor first. This is the same doctor I've been seeing for 5 years and he knows me fairly well. He's also a Christian so we've had times where we talk about the Lord or things we need prayer for, etc. Definitely a brother in Christ. He said that I definitely have the major symptoms of A.D.D. but he also knows what my life and health has been like so he wanted to check first with some blood work to see if there is any metabolic reason for my symptoms. He also referred me to a psychiatrist to do the formal testing for A.D.D. and of course, to "chat". :-). He also reactivated the referral to the rheumatologist that I had let lapse. We talked about PMDD again, too. I often blame stuff on PMS and make jokes about it (although, I'm sure Clinton or my children don't see it as a laughing matter) but the doctor thinks it's PreMenstrual Dysphoric Disorder instead. It's interesting because I definitely get the fog, confusion, intense irritability and hypersensitivity, depression and pessimism for a few days before my period starts. But then on the day it starts, it "lifts". When I look back over my journal or events that happen beforehand, I can see the pattern so clearly. I pray that those who are a regular part of my life can see it, too, and know how to navigate through those rough waters. I remember when I was married to Josiah's dad, he would write "Crazy Week" on the calendar. lol He told me that I was still responsible for my words and actions but that he wasn't going to take me seriously during that time. Smart man. It seems to have gotten worse but then again, my life IS a TAD stressful. lol Not to mention the joyful juxtaposition of being post-partum and pre-menopausal at the same time. LOL Ain't life grand? :-) I do need to make sure I document things because I have to recognize when it's happening and kick into some behavior modification.....for my family's sake. During that time, I snap at the kids something horrible and have very little patience. I have very low noise tolerance and can't stand a lot of fast movement when I'm inside, in a confined space (and our "home, sweet, shoebox" is pretty confining when everyone is at home) which sucks when we're talking about a family with 4 very active, "inquisitive", strong-willed kids. And I'm the only parent they've got.

ATTORNEY:

I don't want to give too many details because I'm not sure if "the man" or any of his cohorts read this but suffice it to say, it's all under control and I'm very pleased with what God is doing. I'm going to use the legal system to secure what the children and I deserve and let the judge decide what that is. When I itemized for the attorney what 'the man' has given financially for each month of the past year and the position he left us in when he walked out on us, she had a look of disgust on her face. I just cited the facts and didn't get into an emotional dissertation of "who struck John".

The part that I really want to share....the best part of all of this....the part where God did something very cool.....is this: Okay, so I've known about this particular attorney since about April. She has quite a reputation for making sure errant soldiers take responsibility for the families that they think they can abandon. But I was still at that, "Love can fix this house" stage. It really wasn't until the end of the summer that I completely resigned myself to accept it for what it was and start moving on without him (and what it is... ISN'T that he is just pure evil and the "problem". It's that we are a bad mix. A very bad mix). It's like my sister Rusha said to me in October when I went back home, "WE all see what he's doing and what kind of person he is.....everyone sees it but YOU" So, even when I knew I had to move on and knew I was going to need an attorney to make the "technical" portion of the extrication happen, there was still the problem of lack of funds (that age-old dilemma of "needing money to make money"). This particular attorney doesn't have a consultation fee EXCEPT with family law. Anyway, my dear friend said she had the name of an attorney for me and that I really needed to talk to her. Turns out it's the same attorney that I'd heard about a few months ago. Okay, confirmation....check. She said that I could even come to her house to call her and she'd occupy Aidan so I could concentrate on being business like (yeah, she knows me and Wonder Tot pretty well. lol). So, I do that...call the lawyer and they have an appt right away. My friend says to take it and we'll find the fee before the time comes. Ooookaaayyy....... so I go and talk to the lawyer, spell everything out with as little emotion as possible. She listens and says that her retainer fee is usually $1500. I thank her for her time and for helping me come up with a game plan. I say that since I don't have a job, I will have to get back to her when I have an income. She says that she wants to help me get what the kids and I deserve and that we've gone too long without being properly taken care of. She asks if I can come up with $250 and that I could retain her with that amount. Whoa. I told her I'd pray about it and see what God comes up with. :-) So, I go back to my friends' house, tell her and her husband what the attorney said. While I'm talking, she picks up the phone. Her husband says, "who are you calling?". She answers, "Santa Claus". I chuckle and keep talking to her husband. Next thing I know is that she is handing the phone to me and saying I need to give my address to somebody. Huh? Who? What? Why? I see that she has tears in her eyes and it dawns on me what is happening. Oh no no no, I protest. But the deed was done and God provided. I received a check for $300 2 days later from my friend's sister who had wanted her tithe to go to someone in need. I took the money to the attorney and should be getting a call sometime next week to come in and preview the documents. Then we'll go from there.