No, but I might have to break down and do it. I try to avoid meds when I can, but this is really uncomfortable.

I try to avoid meds when I can

Simethicone isn't absorbed by the body, so it's probably safer than baking soda. It just changes the characteristics of the gas bubbles.

Gas-X is god.

I have an honest-to-god 2-day, stabbed-in-the-eye-with-an-ice-pick migraine. It's the first one in 2 months (since the acupuncture) that hasn't responded to drugs within a few hours. It started within 12 hours of starting the antibiotic for the sinus infection, so I'm going to chalk it up to that, especially since the Z-pak has a notably high rate of headache as a side effect. But Jesus God, I really did forget what they were like.

Finally (to bury the lede), my aunt (my Dad's sister) had a stroke Monday and my dad just told me today. She's in the hospital, but seems to have not had any neurological deficits in the way of motor skills, one-sided weakness/facial drooping, or speech problems. Which is good. HOWEVER, her carotid artery has an 85% blockage, and the doctor said that they consider a 70% blockage to be Oh Holy Shit time. So they need to open that up ASAP. HOWEVER again, she has a lot of blood clots in her head/neck veins (and probably elsewhere, but the CT scan was just of her head/neck), and they need to dissolve the clots before they can open up the blockage, so that they don't dislodge a clot when they operate. And the problem there is that dissolving the clots takes time, and they really don't want to wait on opening the blockage.

So, shit. As of this evening, the doctors started her on heparin, which is an anticoagulant and will dissolve clots. I don't know how long they'll wait before opening up the carotid blockage.

My dad sounded *really* stressed and shaken, which is VERY unlike him. The man is mellow under the worst of conditions; he didn't even sound like this when my Uncle Steve died last September or my Uncle Dutch died in the spring. I think the cumulative stress has gotten to him, quite understandably.

*I* am trying to not list all the shit upon shit that has happened in my life since late July of 2010, but let me tell you, that year period is not quite up, and I am GODDAMN TIRED of the universe fucking with my loved ones.

Also, my head hurts.

Damn, Tep. That's too much.

Damn, Vortex, that's a lot of popcorn shrimp.

Hey, Scrappy, could you email me? I have a quick question, but can't ask it on the board. It's mohmlet at gmail.

Gronk.

Think we have to give up on the second oldest cat. Poor thing. But he's lost a lot of his bowel control, among other things, and we've been dealing with it for a year and have hit wit's end. When I am seriously suggesting that we CRATE the cat...

Tep, that's just... I'm sorry.

Tep, I am so sorry.

Oh Steph, so sorry.

Steph, so much ~ma going out to your aunt and your whole family.

Plei, sorry about your kitty. That's a tough decision to make.

((((All)))) The universe needs to let up for a bit.

{{{Teppy}}} So much ~ma to your family. I'm sorry that this keeps happening to you and yours.

I need a little more ~ma today. I am meeting with good PT and hopefully finding out what happened when he spoke to the other one. Please let it be good news.