Since my first post about the kittens several things have happened. In short - we got a new kitten, and Leia had to be put down.

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The doctor's voice was a faint buzz in the middle ranges of my hearing, a soothing cadence that did little to quiet the fluttering of my heart. I chewed nervously on the inside of my cheek, nodding now and then.
Just do it, a little voice in my head said, sounding suspiciously like a narrator from Nike.
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A few months ago we got kittens. Two of them.
They have been a source of much amusement, and a few headaches. They join two other house pets (dogs - we also have a horse, but he doesn't live on the property)
Photos below the cut.

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So, Friday evening my appendix abruptly decided it no longer wanted to be a part of me.

(  >.<  )

I'm a good patient, or so I've been told. I'm polite, understanding, cute and as un-demanding as possible, which means when I do ask for something people are more willing to try and get me what I want. This is generally a good thing, but I recently discovered that there are, in fact, times when people should brace themselves and tell me 'no'.

(  All the pretty colors!  )

I keep walking into walls. >.< I'm pretending to just check their structural integrity, but I'm really just running into them by mistake. I started a new med (Lyrica) which was just approved for Fibro pain. So far, it's playing merry hell with my coordination, vision and coherency.
Wheeee. It's a bit like being on a constant merry go round.
In other news, my mother is back in the hospital. She had a test involving barium (ickickick) more than a week ago and when they did abdominal x-rays in the ER, the barium was still in there. Which would probably explain all the vomiting and weight loss. Her digestive system just keeps shutting down, which is not cool.

When I fell of my horse at the end of March and broke my arm, I wandered into the ER for an x-ray and a splint. Because I was tachycardic and because, well, I'm me (and that particular hospital has my horrifying medical history on record) I got full body x-rays and a head/neck/spine/chest/abdomen CT series. I also got about a million warm blankets, two IV's and some crackers.
Total bill: $14,000
O_O

So, apparently sleeping against the nuclear reactor every night wasn't the greatest idea.

(  Buh-bye!  )

The good news is, my horse has fast reflexes and can do a stunning 360 degree turn! The bad news is, I can't.

<- JP in calmer times

(  My what big teeth you have...  )

I was asked (some time ago, sorry) for photos documenting some of the genneral signs of EDS, things that can be easily noticed or checked. Not surprisingly, most of what can be found on the internet shows extreme cases of EDS, which is cool to look at but not helpful if you're trying to diagnose a more typical (if there is such a thing, given the variety of expression) case of it.


The Beighton criteria/scale gives one point for each thumb that can be touched to the related forearm, as demonstrated here.

(  Click here for more photos  )

Some people spend their lives looking for money, or love, or adventure.
I'm after sleep.
Sleep is something that comes naturally to most people. Not me. I have problems going to sleep and I have problems staying asleep. I apparently even have problems breathing while I'm asleep.
(  Zzzzz  )

>.< This come from one too many annoying neighbors I've had in the ER, people who's sheer lung capacity and ability to articulate their displeasure indicates a state of good health.

(  In the unlikely event of a crash landing...  )

Meet My Friend Harry.
MFH.
Also known as 'Migraine From Hell' (or My F-ing Head)

(  More About Harry  )

This will not be a blog about my life, or rather, my entire life. That would involve far too many rants and random bits of information. Instead, this blog will (hopefully) be a place in which I can post info, updates and amusing commentary about my health. As I suffer from a not insignificant degree of ‘brain fog’ or mental fuzziness, I find it an exhaustive task to recall whom I’ve told what. Therefore, I've decided it would be exponentially easier to post updates and information here.
I write this blog with the intention that it be read by family and friends, however it is (for now) open to anyone who’s interested in...whatever it is they find here.

(  A Sort of Short History of my Life )