Tuesday, May 31, 2011

And it's off!



Having had to deal with cluster headaches, fibro-fog, and arthritis flare-ups, it's no wonder it took me the entire 4 weeks we were given, to complete my 3,000-word essay, which was set for my EMA (End-of-Module Assignment).


As it happens, I managed to post my EMA the night before the send-by date, which pleased me enormously - so now it's a case of wait-and-see, until the beginning of August, when we will all get our results!


I'm not a very patient person, but I guess that, if I can get at least a Pass 3, it will be worth the wait, and I'll be a very pleased bunny, as I struggled a lot to complete the EMA.


But I guess the most important point here, is that I did complete it, despite wanting to give it up a few times over the course, when my health took me to the lowest point I've ever been in the 6 years I've been studying with the O.U.


Since I sent it off, I've been trying to recover somewhat, and not making a good job of it, hence my silence on the Blog front, but my doctor has changed my medication somewhat, and I stopped taking one of the tablets that was helping to trigger my cluster migraines, so I'm only getting them once or twice a week now, instead of practically daily, so that's a huge improvement for me - and means I can do a bit of writing online again - Yay! Lol


On the study front, I still have my usual Bible study - something I do as naturally as breathing these days - and this will keep my mind occupied, and working, over the summer months. Then, come October, I start my very last course - or module as we're supposed to call them now - for my BA (Hon)!


I'm actually getting quite excited about this one, as a friend sent me some pdf files of the old study guide and one of the study books - and I think that, while the course will be extremely hard for me, I'm really going to love it, as it goes into the history of word use, how meanings have changed, why, and lots of other aspects to do with the English language - very exciting for someone who loves words the way I do! Lol


I looked into the OUSA forum for E301, and there were a lot of links to interesting articles, and other stuff relevant to the course, so I'm going to spend a little of my time over the next few months trying to absorb some of it, in preparation for the start of October - it might help me somewhat in absorbing even a fraction of it all, especially as I have such trouble remembering things with my faulty short-term memory.


If I learn anything interesting, I'm sure to let you know, though. So, until then, enjoy your summer breaks, folks! ;0))



Thursday, May 19, 2011

And yet another version . . .



Between attacks of migraine, I'm managing to add yet more words to my EMA. It's coming on slowly, with yet more changes every time I read it - in fact, it's a totally different version to the one I started off with which, I guess, is normal for me :/


I don't know why, but I've always edited as I've written. I've never been a one to write down absolutely everything in my head, and then come back later to edit and tighten it up. It's as if I have my own, personal, editing suite in my head, that just happens to be switched on all the time!


But the good news, is that I'm almost there with the word count and, with a bit more (or lot more) tweaking, it'll be complete within the next few days - and in plenty of time to submit before the end date!


On another note, I went to both the optician and my doctor today, in the hopes that the migraines were being caused by a need for new glasses. I did need new glasses but, unfortunately, that wasn't the trigger for the migraines :(


My doctor has changed one of my new tablets as, although they are good at raising the serotonin levels, which tend to become low with people who have fibro like I do, there is also the risk that these are the things causing the migraines. 
Unfortunately, he has prescribed Amitriptyline for me - something I tried before, and which caused me to become  a zombie! I wish I'd realised what he was doing before I had the prescription done, as I know they don't suit me at all!
I've also been prescribed Imigram to help stave off the migraines before they hit full strength, and also another tablet called Pizotifen, another tablet that helps to prevent migraines and cluster headaches, which I've started to get, so I'm hoping and praying they do the trick, as I've enough to cope with as it is, without this!


I'm hoping I'll have my new glasses within the week and, by then I should have finished writing my EMA. If so, I'm looking forward to reading a book that has absolutely nothing to do with studying! Even better, if the tabs my doctor prescribed for me start working properly, it should mean that I can read for more than  30 minutes at a time, for the first time in absolutely months!


Oh, I really, really hope so!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Still slogging onwards . . .

Well, I'm still plodding away at my EMA, a little bit at a time.


What I have realised, is that although 3,000 words seemed a lot when I started, it's not enough for what I need to include if I'm going to use the 6 books I had originally chosen, so I've had to cut that back to 4 books.


It actually says in the brief that we need to use at least 3 books, so I guess I could get away with cutting another one out, but that would ruin the symmetry I'm trying to create, as well as leaving a huge gap in the time-line I'm following, so I've found that 4 books should just about give me the leeway I need to complete this :)


Anyway, I'd better get back to it, otherwise it'll never be finished! 


Best of luck to all you other students doing your EMA's, or cramming for exams!!!! 



Still slogging onwards . . .

Well, I'm still plodding away at my EMA, a little bit at a time.


What I have realised, is that although 3,000 words seemed a lot when I started, it's not enough for what I need to include if I'm going to use the 6 books I had originally chosen, so I've had to cut that back to 4 books.


It actually says in the brief that we need to use at least 3 books, so I guess I could get away with cutting another one out, but that would ruin the symmetry I'm trying to create, as well as leaving a huge gap in the time-line I'm following, so I've found that 4 books should just about give me the leeway I need to complete this :)


Anyway, I'd better get back to it, otherwise it'll never be finished! 


Best of luck to all you other students doing your EMA's, or cramming for exams!!!!