Teppy, I hate to be negative, but it could just be that the meds are really kicking in today. So, I really think it would be better for you to find out what is wrong. Although, I really do hope that it is something minor and it will go away on its own.

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Cashmere, I'd go for the Brother, actually. Their quality is going to be similar, and the Brother actually has a few more toys--including the twin needle, which is actually wicked cool.

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Steph, getting an MRI sounds like a giant pain (no pun intended) but when it's done, you'll know...ya know? Sometimes the best thing for speeding healing is info.

Yeah, but -- I know I said this already -- maybe my back pain just needed a little more time to start to heal, and that's happening now.

Er, what I mean by that is -- if it's improving, I think that getting an MRI might be overkill.

Plus, like I said above, there's the whole jumping-through-hoops aspect of getting ahold of a doctor to get authorization to get an MRI, then going and having the MRI done, and then getting back with the doctor to have him look at the MRI. Honestly? With all the red tape and phone calls back and forth that that's going to involve, it's going to take several days. That's just how health insurance works, which sucks, but it's a bureaucracy.

So while several days pass for the whole MRI-approval-appointment-etc. process, my back could be (and seems to be) getting better. And if it's getting better, the MRI isn't necessary.

Teppy, I hate to be negative, but it could just be that the meds are really kicking in today.

How is that negative? It's *good* that the meds are kicking in.

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Yeah. I get that. Goodness knows, I'm not practicing what I preach on that front so...I'm with ya. Whatever it takes to feel/be better.

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How is that negative? It's *good* that the meds are kicking in.

I just meant that it may not mean that your back is really better.

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Thanks for the input, vw! I've been thinking about this for a while. I have to hem a lot of my pants and it would be nice to be able to do it on a machine, rather than by hand. Not to mention doing some crafty stuff for the kids.

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Oh, yeah! Absolutely! I definitely approve :).

Shit. Just got my first Christmas card...the first of many that will say things like, "We've sure heard a lot about [CBD] and can't wait to meet him." I guess I need to do a better job of making sure my extended family knows that we're no longer dating, but I just don't have the energy. I had kind of hoped my parents had told some of them.

It's hard, because it's an expectation thing. My family--especially my extended family--thinks that I would be happier if I were married and having five million children. And that was closest I've been in over 10 years. This is stupid, but I just feel like I've let them all down.

Ugh. I need to go do something productive and quit whining. Also, I wish this stupid knot in my stomach would go away.

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Had to share an incident from the show this weekend. This is the from the house managers report.

I held the house a bit longer because I had a customer who bought tickets over the internet for tonight's performance. She had tickets for A Christmas Carol, just the wrong theater. Her tickets read Anthens Theater in Chicago. I went ahead and sat her then at intermission she paid $270 for 4 seats.

um. Chicago. Dallas. Poor lady paid doubly for the show. Something tells me she won't be able to get a refund on her Chicago tickets.

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And that was closest I've been in over 10 years. This is stupid, but I just feel like I've let them all down.

I feel your pain on the closest. God knows I'm wanting love and coming up empty. And to have something and then not. Ya. BUT the "let them down" part. Pshaw! Hogwash I say. You have to do whats best for YOU! If CBD wasn't the right one, at the right time, then it's far better to learn and address that now, rather than later down the road where you might feel compelled to marry him because you've been dating 13 months or some such.

Er. um. kinda lecturey. Sorry. What I meant was {{{ vw }}}

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How is that negative? It's *good* that the meds are kicking in.

I just meant that it may not mean that your back is really better.

So you mean the percocet is kicking in, but the steroids and muscle relaxers aren't? I guess that's possible, but I also know the point of giving me steroids was to reduce any inflammation that might be irritating the sciatic nerve.

I guess there's no way to tell if it's the percocet masking the pain, or the steroids getting rid of the cause of the pain.

Or -- I took my last dose of percocet at 7:00 this morning, and it's 5 1/2 hours later, so if the pain comes back soon, that would mean the lack of pain was from the percocet working. And if things stay pain-free (ish), then I'm going to assume it's the steroids and/or muscle relaxers and/or time.

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