Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Hi guys. I guess it's true what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder. I've missed you guys. True, I have been able to keep up with many of you via facebook, which is my favorite time consumer, but sometimes, it's not the same as blogging. I can't seem to fit all my thoughts, feelings and emotions into that tiny little status bar. Nor would the facebook world want to hear about it all. I may get booed offstage. However, I've been tossing the idea around of coming back and joining you. Maybe not as often as before, but maybe I'll chime in a little more often than I have since the summer. Maybe, I still have some readers out there somewhere? Anyone out there?

And maybe I should get myself re-establshed a little before I poll you on this, but time is running out and I am really confused about the right thing to do. Who of you are planning to vaccinate either yourselves or your children against H1N1? The school will be having a mass flu clinic on Dec 1st and 2nd, and I truly have some mixed emotions about the flu shot and especially the H1N1 vaccine. Are you going to do it? Please tell me why or why not. And what if your immune system were a little weakend by a 10 day run with the varicella virus? My Little Ann has been out of school since last Monday with the worst case of Chicken Pox I think I have ever seen. I thought it was never going to end.

Looking forward to seeing how many of you are still out there, and even more anxious to hear your comments on the vaccine! I've missed you!

Prayer Warriors...We Need You!

I lost both set of my grandparents early in age. My mom's parents passed away when I was 8 and 16, but I managed to keep my dad's around for a little longer. My paternal grandmother died from lymphoma 2 weeks before Big Dan was born. It was an extremely hard time and my grandfather died from complications from a surgical procedure just 8 months later. I was 20. I miss them, but I know I will see them again one day. All 4 of them.

But Pete....he's been so blessed to have both of his grandmothers around for such a long time. Although he lost his maternal grandmother 2 years ago, it's been hard to keep the other one down. She is 88 and has hung with the best of them....until now. She fell off a ladder back around Christmas and has since been in and out of the hospital having 2 back surgeries giving her no relief. It seems that the pain is too much for her to bear, yet the medication makes her too ill for an appetite. She has just given up. Hospice is taking over tomorrow. My prayer is that God will either use His Almighty power to heal her, or He will scoop her up in His loving arms and bring her home. Her 70 pound body is absolutely pitiful and I can't stand to see and hear of any more suffering.

Please remember her when you pray.

La La Land

That's where I feel like I've been (and still am) for the past 48 hours. Maybe I'm writing to get a little sympathy...or not. But as boring as it may be, I'm going to share anyway.

I started having headaches at a very young age, but I don't think anybody really knew what a "migraine" was back then. As I got older into my teen years, I had them worse and worse and still battle (although medication choices are much better now). I had been to several doctors and a neurologist to try to get to the root, but no one could ever find it and just sent me home with more prescriptions.

Into college, I went through a series of allergy tests that revealed that I was allergic to practically everything and I went on food journal diets and shots to try to alleviate the headaches. Nothing seemed to change and I hate needles, so I eventually got off the shots.

Then my dentist discovered I had Temporal Mandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ). Found out that it is very common and I had all the symptoms. My dentist made me a splint to wear at night to align my bite and it did seem to alleviate some of the stress on my jaw. Although the headaches still remain today (oh, do they ever), the TMJ has thankfully been in remission for the past 15 years or so of my life.

BUT...it seems it's back in full force. I have noticed clicking and pain on the right side of my face and even a soreness in my teeth for the last several months. The weird thing about it now is, it is affecting my neck.

My neck aches.

Terribly.

It feels like a crick that never goes away. Tender to touch and sometimes shoots a strange pain completely up the back of my head. I've taken some hydrocodone over the weekend and been on heat and today called the doctor, but I guess I'm curious. Is anybody else out there familiar with this disorder....and is neck pain common with TMJ? I've googled and found some forums that say yes, but I'd like to know if any of you have experienced this first hand.