Now the stress of the holidays is over. I had very little stress, but find after the fact that the sub-conscious has it's own agenda!

Monday I went to the pain Dr. to fix a blooper they created last month and with the brilliant idea of having a shot of cortisone in my neck as a panicked attempt at progress.

That shot was the most painful experience I have ever had besides invasive surgery!  Oh my, but I won't be experiencing that again.

Before I was called into a room I met a girl, about thirty, outside and we started to visit, both singing the praises of our Pain Dr, Dr.Bob.  She is so much younger than I am and I felt blessed that I had so many years of physical freedom seeing her creep to the door in a body that screamed out the age of eighty.  Anna's living situation is a horror.  She married a man and it lasted for a month. He left her in the care of his parents..abandoning her.  The father is a very kind man who seemed to relate to my kindness immediately, pouring out his concern for his "daughter" and his wife's resentment and imagined slights tword Anna.  I find it incredible that I and people like me (most often women) are treated with such suspicious contempt when we are experiencing such pain and agony.  We try to be quiet and strong, but our movements portray the pain even when we are playing it down.  This girl's mother-in-law has gone so far as to threaten to tell our Dr. that Anna is lying about pain and running around town like a healthy teenager.  The woman claims to be a Christian.  The FIL is beside himself with concern over Anna's well being and seems to not comprehend that his wife feels jeleous and ignored.  I can sympathize with every person in this sad situation.

How often do I feel sorry for myself and declare that my life is over?  That my disease's have destroyed my life and "other people" are healthy and happy.  I have been so blessed with the knowledge of who and WHAT I am!  When a person doesn't know what their problem is, or that they have a problem, they are definately sicker than I am.  How truly sad....

Anna is lonely, and seems to have no idea that there are alternatives to living in such an unhealthy environment.  I spoke with her and her FIL about section 8 housing, forms of public assistance, alternate forms of transportation, and so on.  She called last nite and asked me to take her to wallgreens to get a prescription.  I did so, making it clear that I would not be "on call" as a taxi driver.  For once I set boundries!  I do want to help.  Help means without dependance.  I am going to try to fill some of my time, and lord knows I have a lot of that, researching contact numbers that can be assisting her in changing her living situation.  Her action will determine her circumstances.  My determine mine.

Thanks for reading.  Hope you are all well.