Oh, erin, how complicated and scary. I hope she lets people give her the help she needs. It'll be a long road but she can definitely make it. I remember how terrifying it was when my sis had her own version of reality and no one, but NO ONE could get through to her.

I ran errands (nearly lost the plot in the hardware store), went to see my L9 peeps, and then the fabulous K & K helped me unload most of the cube. I'm going to eat some leftover Chinese, maybe mop a little more, maybe unpack a few boxes. Found out that the burns on the edge of my bathtub are likely crackpipe burns - former tenant was Section 8 and went to jail. File all that under things I won't be telling my mother.

{{erin and family}} Even with all the teens in my life I am without any answers. If she can talk to you it could be helpful to have someone that listens without lecturing and judging.

My back is killing me. I'm taking an 800mg ibuprofen, carb-loading with Wheat Thins, and having a break. The girls are watching "Despicable Me".

Seriously, I read this as The Girls are watching "Despicable Me", as in while the rest of your body was doing something else.

best of luck to everyone, Erin. May the drama be short and the healing begin soon

erin, I would strongly recommend peer counseling, in addition to a therapist who can rule out (or confirm) the harder core diagnoses.

For the deeper pains, the been-there-survived-that perspective can be the best for teen issues. The local mental health association should have referrals for well-respected groups.

In the meanwhile, major calm and coping ~ma for everyone involved.

bonny is, as always, very wise. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy or Emotions Anonymous might also be good things to look into.

erin, I have no advice, but so much ~ma to your sister and your entire family.

She needs therapy, Erin. Whether she's happy to do it or not. But also you likely really do hear the worst of it. I am so sorry. It sounds rough. I hope she can find it in herself to take advantage of the help and caring being offered sooner rather than later.

That constellation of symptoms could be a lot of things, some of which are in the category of Should Be Addressed, But Not Necessarily Right This Second (like low iron), or it could be asthma/allergy-related, or it could be a little more serious. Statistically, it's probably not cardiac-related, but if it were me, I'm nervous enough to want it checked out.

Yeah, I would see if you can be seen sooner, Vortex. It's likely something Not Traumatic and Easily Dealt With but there is the smallest chance it's not something to put off for too long and that's when you want attention. I mean, honestly it's how my asthma presents which isn't a big deal. But that constellation of symptoms, as Tep says, should be looked at by a pro.

But that constellation of symptoms, as Tep says, should be looked at by a pro.

You never know, and I just hate to mess around with anything that's vaguely in the heart/lung area.

I kept hearing Dean meow - which is something he doesn't do normally. At first it was his usual kind of meow - more a chirp. Then louder and more of an actual meow and insistent.

So I got up to see what was wrong -- I'd accidentally closed Maddie out on the porch.

I don't think she meowed, she will occasionally make a quiet purr-chirp kinda sound. So I don't know if she was scratching at the door, or did a little meow. But as soon as I opened it she ran inside and hid.

and now they are chasing each other back and forth the length of the (not very long) apartment.