Good news.

Quite a bit has happened in recent months. I have a new pacemaker device, I'm on new medication, I met an 18 year old boy who may be my son, and I've been corresponding with his mother (we lived together in the early 90s).
In the last week, I turned 51 - AND I finally got some positive news about my Social Security Disability appeal: I have been accepted!
My sisters came up with the idea to contact our congressman to see if he could help expedite things, in any way. Within days, I received a phone call telling me that there was a positive response to my claim. Whether this was a coincidence or not, I don't know. I wrote him a letter thanking him for any actions he may have taken on my behalf.
I can't get excited until I see some money (sometime in October), but I can finally see a light at the end of a long, black tunnel. Sure, I'll have to learn to live off of half of what I was making while working, but considering the state I've been in over the last year, it's a giant leap forward.
My health? It's been a bit bumpy. The changes in my meds are playing a part in this, I'm sure. And the new device may need some tweaking. I'll find out when I visit UNC in a couple of months. I'm just glad that I've gotten the procedure out of the way - and that it all went smoothly.
I complain a lot on here, I guess - and that's ok, because it's cathartic. Part of the reason for creating this blog was to have a release valve. It HAS been an extremely trying period of my life (and I'm sure there's more to come). As always, though, I want to document the times when good comes to the fore. I've had some good lately and I'm thankful.
I'm just happy to be here.