Hi Everyone,

Well, there hasn't been a lot of activity on here lately. I hope it's that you all have more interesting lives than mine and are just busy and not sick!

Kaitlin, have you been able to get some medical attention? I know you mentioned having breathing problems, among others, and not having insurance. You've been on my mind; hope you are feeling MUCH better...

Dave, how is your daughter? I hope she is still doing well.

LovesPoe--did you have your hysterectomy yet? My mom had one, so I know if you have, you probably are not feeling very well yet. Wish you a speedy recovery!

Ann, Irish, all of you other Lupie Groupies: Take care and write when you can. Miss you guys! HUGS DeeDee

Dee Dee
I will be seeing the doctor again next tuesday. it takes 5 hours one way to get there and i have to take the apointments i can get. my internist said, "your allergies are acting up just avoid being outside." such a wonderful person huh? i hate internists, but i do need my allergy and stomac meds and occasionally an inhaler. there has to be an easier way. i can get medical insurance in 1 year, but in the meantime i am appealing an SSI denial- with the help of a GOOD lawyer, an dmy rhuemetologist. LOL as to being gone for a while, i am in collage with a full load in a 9 week semester- crazy me i actually want to finish on time despite my physical health. As to getting better, no better, and my hair is falling out again. damn it gets depressing, i lost half my hair the first time maybe more. but other than that nothing has decided to get much worse. so i guess i am blessed. especially since in my family i had a choice of this or cancer. i choose this because cancer tends to be fatal in my family. oh well, i have some serious studying to do.
Kaitlin

Kaitlin,
I can't believe you ever find to post with college and illness combined!

You know, you were talking about your internist saying dumb things with regard to your allergies: when I was in college, I had a period where my hair was coming out in CLUMPS. I mean by the handful. I really freaked out the first time I got a pile out when washing. I kept clogging up our drains. Anyway, I was at the doctor for something else and mentioned it. I tried to impress upon him how bad it was and he says, "You know, everybody loses some hair everyday and stress can make it worse." I should have stuck to my guns, but I let it go (along with so many other symptoms over the years) and it eventually got better. Looking back...well, 20/20, ya know?

Good luck next Tuesday. 5 hours to a doctor. Wow! When will your year be up for insurance? I hope your lawyer can get the SSI for you. You sure don't need anything else to worry about right now.

Write (or just read!) when you can, but mainly take care of yourself.
((HUGS)) DeeDee

DeeDee,
this semester at least all my classes are at home. in the fall though they have me scheduled to be on campus fulltime so i may have to ask my doctor for a list of possible limitations and suggestions for teh school on how to make accomidations. i may also wind up asking for help getting a handicapped sticker for the really bad days i have. today has been one of them. last night i had hot greese splatter in my eye and so of course i have to go to the ER, where they say no cornea damage, but use these antibiotic drops for 5 days. today my eye itches and my head aches. i am of course mildly allergic to the drops. unfortunately they are the only ones i can take with only mild problems. i am severly allergic to the alternatives. LOL so here i sit wondering if it is worth it and deciding i want to see more than this irritation bugs me. i fell asleep this afternoon and slept like the dead, must be from being up later than usual. that scares me as much as the health issues, i sleep and am still exaughsted. i wish i understood why i am tired all the time. i was the most physically active person i know and now i am unable to walk 3 blocks w/o my legs/knees giving out. jokes on me huh? ah well, sorry to dump this here, but my family thinks i imagine half this stuff. my internist of course thinks i am nuts, and i may just become nuts if my hair keeps falling out. hey its summer being bald might not be that bad, except when my hair falls out i cry or wish i could when others are around. no one takes the hair loss seriously because i started with more hair that 3 braids could hold. now i have less than 2 can hold. and am still losing it. i used to fight for 2 or 3 hours to brush my hair and wait 12 hours or more for it to dry naturally. now it takes less than 20 minutes to brush and 4 hours or less to dry. not sure i like that. sorry to go on again. lately i get more upset about what is happening to my body than i used to, mainly because it scares me more now. have to go storm coming in i can hear the thunder and pretty soon will probably lose power. arent rural areas nice?