I'm a 34 year old, divorced, single mother of two absolutely amazing kids. They are so incredibly smart and funny. They have such strong personalities, are so energetic, and are fun to be around. My son Dalton is 14. He has bipolar disorder and lives with his father right now because he is remarried so it is somewhat easier for him to have Dalton because he requires a lot of attention. The mental healthcare system is better where they live so I know he is getting the help he needs even though it kills me for him to be so far away. My other child is Taylor my daughter who is 11. She lives at home with me. I work out of my home doing my own daycare. I live in Iowa in the Quad Cities area. I love it here in the summer because there are so many fairs and festivals to go to. We aren't in a big town so we can walk many places to shop, eat, get movies, or check out library materials. It's a really great place with friendly people, and an excellent school system. When you walk into the school you can feel the caring, friendly atmosphere. It's almost like a family. They have been great with my children especially Dalton who has presented unique challenges for them. The principle and my daughter are good friends because he has known her since Dalton started in preschool there when he was 4 and she was 2. I have a great group of friends, am currently single which is ok with me i don't have the time or energy for dating right now. I love to read, draw, do crafts with the kids, watch movies, work on the computer, and play with the kids or hang out with friends. I am 5ft 4inches tall, have brown eyes, blackbrown hair, and my weight is more to love. I love the medical field and hope to get back to school some day for medical records, medical transcription, billing and coding, xray tech, or medical assisting. I have degenerative disk disease in my L3, L4, L5, and some degenerative changes in my Sacral area. It has been a tough journey with it. I have been diagnosed for 5 years now, and the doctors say they don't understand the amount of degeneration because they usually only see it in much much older people. I have done physical therapy, tons of walking, ice, heat, analgesic rubs, bengay or icyhot, biofreeze, steroid epidural shots, pain meds, and lyrica. I am on steroids all the time which makes losing weight and keeping it down difficult. I can't do any work right now where I have to sit or stand for extended periods. I can't have surgery yet because the doctor says I'm too young. People tell me to file for disability, but I don't agree. Even with the pain and restrictions I consider disability something for people who really can't experience pain free days or have extremely limited mobility. There are times I can't walk or even stand up straight, but there are times when I do o.k. I came on the site in the hopes that I could find more information about Disk disease, ways to help the pain, ways to increase mobility, surgery options like adult stem cells etc., and support from others with the same conditions. I am a friendly, caring person and a good listener so if you have questions or need a friend to talk to and get support from let me know. I hope everyone feels better, keep your hopes up, and have a great day. Bridget.