4 years NED and the reality of disability

This October will be 4 years since I started my Chemo Holiday which I was told originally it would be for a short time.   I have blissful lived in the land of denial over the fact I have cancer and an autoimmune disorder but my body had finally stated enough is a enough.

I am officially on FMLA and in the process of filling out short term disability paperwork.  Which has made my family really really happy since they wanted this done 5 years ago.  I have also rolled the dice with taking a new drug that could possible open the door for the cancer to spread like wild fire.  I may be a little paranoid but I don't like how the liver is feeling, since the drug I am on is actually a Chemo but is used for autoimmune disorders but can damage the liver.

Will it be my friend or enemy only time will tell, guess I will find out at the end of Sept. when I go see the Oncologist.  My schedule is still crazy apparently my body wants to stay up the exact amount of time I slept on most days, sleep 14 up 14 hours.  Then there are days 1, 2, & 3 after taking the Methotraxate that is taken once a week I will sleep a day and sometime a day and half.

Now I got to figure out money, since normally I am getting overtime in the fall, so that means a lot less money while my medical bills continue to grow leaps and bounds.  One of these days this month I will have to figure out long term financial issues, applying for social security disability, we sorta got a handle on the amount of money from work disability.  Luckily one of my credit cards that I have had to use for medical bills has a medical hardship so they are processing my paperwork, now I have to figure out if the rest of them have this too.

After FMLA will be short term disability as we try to put a cork in the damage the Sjogren's is causing, it has been a frustrating year, with the inability to sleep, not being able to open a bag of chips and having to use scissors, dropping things because the dexterity has become hit and miss, pain from the ridges on a bottle of steak sauce, not realizing you cut your self until you or someone else notices the blood, swelling of joints that want go away just a few irrations.

On the bright side I think I am catching up on my sleep, only time I set an alarm is when I have a doctor's appointment which are now in the afternoons.   Hoping to get back in some sort of shape when I get back to J['ville so I will be ready when the cancer decides to go on to round 3, got my bike put back together, but I think I will be during a lot of night swimming since it is less stress on the joints.

This is definitely going to be an interesting ride over the next couple of months.