Category: Anxiety

It’s been a while since I last wrote. There have been so many ups and downs, happy and sad times this year—it’s been a whirlwind for sure.

I start my 5th semester of school tomorrow. A 5-week minimester—that’s always fun. I started off with the wrong degree plan, so when I went in to switch it last semester, I essentially “lost” two classes (which are several credits—6? I think) towards my degree plan. So I added another semester to my timeframe, basically. Boo.

I also start my new position at work tomorrow. Waiting for word on that alone was torture. I had so much stress in December (MOVING to an apartment, interviewing, going to training in DC, amongst other things) that I started to lose my hair. Not just a little, either. I’m currently taking medication and having injections every few months to circumvent my hair loss. But I digress! My new position isn’t TOO different from what I already do, but it still makes me nervous. I don’t want to mess up or say the wrong thing. I’m sure once I get more training then I’ll be more comfortable. I recently learned that our trainings will go back to being virtual, which honestly makes me feel more at ease. I WAS going to have a travel buddy but that’s gone out the window and traveling alone makes me SO anxious. At first, since most trainings were going to be in DC/Maryland, I was thinking of putting school on hold because I didn’t want to be overwhelmed, but I think if we stay home and do virtual trainings I could possible stick with school. There’d be no restaurants or sightseeing to be experienced so it works out.

Jaylen graduated from his academy on May 3rd. Proud doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about my boy! We had a nice time at the Bottomless Lakes in New Mexico and then at Balmorhea State Park. We even got to experience 2 hail storms while we were out there. Jaylen and Angela are all settled into their cute apartment with their kitties. I’m so happy for my baby.

Sally is getting married!! And I’m a maid of honor along with her sister, Tina! Alex proposed on Valentine’s Day, which was so awesome. He did a great job. Her bachelorette is in July so I need to get ready (and save) for that. Have I been able to work out? Of course not. Have I stuck to Keto? Negative.

I’ve also been navigating through these last two weeks feeling really hurt and confused. When I finally put my foot down with a selfish person in my life a few months ago and decided to walk away—they came back with promises and tears to keep me in their life. When these things were being told to me, I had reservations about it because I didn’t believe it. But then things were happening; things were falling into place! I couldn’t believe it! I was thrilled and elated. And then things began to change, things went back to being how they were before. It doesn’t help that my PMDD was in full force this last week which further exacerbated my emotions. I just want to stop feeling sad. I have so much to be grateful and happy for, but I feel so betrayed that it magnifies my sadness. I just need to keep repeating the awful things that were told to me to help me move on. Again. I’m so dumb. I also need to figure out how to calm the fuck down because my anxiety has been AWFUL. I can’t go into my training this week with my head and heart feeling this way.

Anyway. it’s 9:00 am and I’m already feeling overwhelmed. I need to do laundry, clean (especially my restroom. Ruffles is SO much messier in his old age!), visit mom and visit Eenan. He called me feeling sad yesterday when I was feeling sad and I need to see my boy.

Ok. Gotta start this day.

4 months have never zoomed by so fast. I started classes on January 17th and by the time I knew it, it was Spring Break and then I was suddenly cramming for finals and classes were over on May 12th.

This was the most stressful and equally fulfilling experience I’ve had in a long time. And besides re-learning algebra and learning so much in bio, I learned even more.

I learned that studying till 2am was fruitless; I was nodding off, half-paying attention and by the time I woke up the next day I didn’t have any recollection of what I stayed up studying the night before. I learned that coffee and Georgia Peach Bang energy drinks (which I bought from Dollar Tree every chance I got) don’t keep me awake at all. I could drink both and STILL fall asleep sitting in my desk chair.

I learned that I can say no! It was hard, and it sucks having to say no to friends, but I literally spent every free moment I had studying: when I had a free moment at work and then from the time I got home till it was time for bed. All I did on Saturdays was study to get all my assignments submitted by 11:59pm.

I learned that I’m not dumb! Even at 41 years old, I can still memorize (not the photographic memory I had 25 years ago, but it works), I can still pass exams. I passed my remedial algebra class with a 100% average! You don’t know how satisfying it is to log into my school dashboard and see “TSI Compliant.”

I got a B in bio. I was nervous about that one. I bombed the Final, but I did do excellently in everything else, including the lab finals. Plus I had tons of extra credit, so I got a B in the end. I got an A in Algebra and an A in the remedial class. I was so upset and on pins and needles leading up to when grades would be posted because I was certain I wouldn’t pass Bio and I did!

I am now registered for a summer minimster. I had NO idea it was a minimster, so I hope it isn’t extremely hard. And I’m also registered for my fall classes. I feel like I am actually going to do this! It’s nerve wracking and exciting. But for now. I’m still trying to finish my book (“The Book of 2 Ways” by Jodi Picoult) and catching up on my shows (Grey’s Anatomy and A Million Little Things) before classes start again on Monday. I’m ready!

Today is one of those days that, no matter how many meds I take, the sadness is here to stay. I don’t think it’s withdrawals from weaning off the Paroxetine like it was a couple of weeks ago. I just feel SO sad. I’m over my period, so I don’t know wtf is going on. I think everything is hitting me all at once.

First, I can’t spend the birthday of probably the guy I’m closest to (actually loving right now) with him and that started the whole thing. Even though we spent all day yesterday together, I still feel so sad about it.

Money. Money is always, always, always one of the biggest triggers for me. I got paid, I sold some stuff and yet, my rent is coming up NEXT WEEK and I‘m flipping out about whether I should just pay it all now and stay broke. Or wait till next week and possibly not have the full amount. Plus birthdays are coming up and I have to pay for that, too. Plus Briana wants to go to the beach with the girls on Sunday. A come-and-go trip. But going on those reminds me about how we can’t even rent a room because I’m broke. Which gets me thinking about how my girls are going to have a shitty summer because I can’t afford to take them anywhere. So I bring this up to my person because I’m venting and he brings up the shootings in Uvalde and how those parents would rather have their kids instead of some trip somewhere and that just threw me over the edge. I had been avoiding the news because I knew if I started reading and seeing the photos of those little babies it was going to send me into a spiral. I asked him not to do that and not compare—I know I’m grateful to have my children—I KNOW THAT. It’s not about that at all. So I got lectured. And then I cried at work. Even after taking meds. I’m sure they gave me a fucking placebo just to shut me up.

I’m always praying for the time that I can finally come home from work and be with my kids and tend to my plants. But even tending to my plants is depressing sometimes because some of them aren’t doing too good. Then I start feeling like a failure, which really doesn’t help things at all. And Alaethia is at a party with her friends. I took Emily to get Cane’s and I didn’t get anything because I feel fat and they don’t have anything there that’s Keto. Ugh. So I come to my bedroom after tending to my struggling plants. Then I look around my room and I know I should put the neat pile of clothes that’s on my computer chair in my closet, but I remember how crowded my closets are and I would rather not. Maybe I should just go to sleep.