Hi meara!

I am conflict-averse to the extreme, having been raised by similarly averse parents. However, I cry easily. I've learned that I feel better if I announce that I may cry and let the other person know not to be alarmed by it. Then I can talk and sometimes even dodge the crying. Otherwise I choke on my tears.

KBD gets pissed, tells me why he's pissed, and then stops talking to me until he's over it (which generally only takes 20 min or so). This is super uncomfortable for me but I'm learning to deal.

Hi Smonster!! I hate when my well laid plans to Get Shit Done like that don't work out.

...like now. When I am futzing around the internet, and feeling weird due to my migraine meds (my computer screen keeps getting weirdly smaller and realllllly far away, yet I can still read the letters....and I keep feeling like I am floating above myself...and my fingers currently feel ENORMOUS and HEAVY). Rather than shopping, baking, cleaning my house, filling out my work timesheet, or doing any one of the other seventybillino things I need or want to do today...

Oh GC, I'm so sorry. Sleeping in the hospital is hard enough without also facing pain. I'm glad you're feeling better today, and I hope that the worst is over for you.

Sorry work is sucking, smonster. Good to see you , though!

Suzi, sorry to hear you also had a sleepless night. Hope your shoulder feels better soon.

Teppy, thank you. That's exactly it.

I've learned that I feel better if I announce that I may cry and let the other person know not to be alarmed by it.

I share this strategy. In addition to the 'thar she blows' early warning it offers, making the "This is how I feel and how I'm reacting to it" strategy helps me to avoid well-meant responses that can make things worse.

The one human interaction dynamic that I struggle with the most is having to take care of other people when a) they are ostensibly taking care of me or b) I need to take are of myself.

It's partly an occupational hazard, I know, but this has been a problem for most of my life.

I sent TCG to the market by himself. Any bets on how many times he calls me before he comes home? We're up to 4 phone calls so far.

Yay! I do get to go home today! Can't wait to shower and feel somewhat normal again.

Yay, GC! I hope being in your own home helps you to feel better.

That's great, GC. Home is where the healing is.

Woo! May the comfort of home speed the healing.

Yay for GC going home! Get ready to party hard tonight! woot! OK, maybe you should take it easy tonight.

Yikes Meara, I hope the migraine wanes. Sounds like the drugs are giving freaky effects.