Good morning. This is God.

Hopefully, I will play "catch up" today and get some things posted -- some newly published CRPS research comes most to mind.  My hands and feet have been undergoing drastic CRPS-related changes and while I enjoyed a brief respite from spasticity, my jerks and massive spasms are back and... well, getting me deeply down. 

I'm fighting back, though.  It may not be obvious, but I am.  I am grimly cheerful.  I am cooking up a storm, despite many close calls with knives in these clumsy hands, and near catastrophes with rippling oils in very hot pans.  I am reading with wild abandon, hours at a time. Dobby and Uncle Kitty Big Balls have been subjected to training sessions worthy of the smartest border collie, the most ingenious of poodles.  (Sadly, but predictably, Miss Marmy Fluffy Butt proved resistant to training, at least *group* training.  She will show off in private.)  Then, of course, there are all the seasonal tasks inherent to Manor maintenance and the many requirements of keeping a large domestic staff working hard and free of revolutionary sentiment.  An insurrection is all I need right now.

So I celebrated my birthday yesterday!

A good part of it was spent sleeping, as I started the third round of antibiotics on Saturday, and for some reason, the stuff exhausts me.  Last week, my body decided to engage in some irrational weirdness involving the bones and joints of my hands -- trying to match the grim state of my lower extremities.  Though I suppose it's likely coincidence, my hands have steadily improved since I started Round 3, and that has been a huge relief.  Meaning that -- even though I snoozed through some of it -- I had a fine b'day! 

(This go-round of abx will last a month... Why we are doing a month instead of the usual two weeks, I dunno.  I ain't the doctor.  I just take the pills.  Maybe because, beyond a beneficial effect on blood sugars
-- that are elevated by infection -- my blood work reflecting the infection and inflammation from osteomyelitis was unaffected by the first two treatments, even as it was unaffected by seven orthopedic surgeries.  Yeah, duh, that might be why we've doubled the treatment duration, eh?  It shows a little bit that we are winging it based on some vague suggestions from the Infectious Disease consult back in... when?  October?  My go-to-guy MDVIP Dood is so intent on finding me some relief from daily fevers, weakness, bone pain, and sweats that I am almost ready to lie to him.  I know, I know, that is some messed up thinking.  I just tire of... well, you know.  Blah blah blah!  I'm sure you're tired of it, too!)

I wanted to share with you one of Fred's cards * .  Technically not of the birthday card genre and pretty silly, it made me laugh and want to hug and kiss the guy.  Which I promptly did.

* The card was based on a series of magnets by Claire Vohman.  You can see her cards, shirts, painted windows, magnets, and prints at her website, HERE.