Well, another month, another lesson relearned! Never assume anything about the direction this disease will take you! And always, which means always, listen to what your body tells you! The numbers are great as a back-up, but the numbers don't mean anything if your body isn't telling you the same thing. Bet you're all guessing correctly that the "little bit-o-hyper" shown in the blood test from March kept on going til I was back vacationing in Hyper-City! The endo said the levels were acceptable - but when I started getting that "old feeling" of spaz, I knew it was time to insist on an adjustment.

So, finally, after four days of calling the office, I got my Synthroid, your artificial friend, adjusted down. The endo tried to jump it back to the next lower dose, and I had to ask the assistant to look in my record to see that we'd already tried that dose and it wasn't enough! So, at my suggestion, I am now taking alternating doses of .15 and .175. This situation, among others, is the perfect example of why we have to understand what we have and how to treat it so that we aren't stuck riding in circles while our doctors are just reading the numbers and brushing us aside. Not to mention that we have to learn to be very strong - regardless of how weak, physically and emotionally, this disease makes us feel. Learn all you can and walk into the office armed with the facts, just in case you aren't fortunate enough to have a doctor who is one of the good ones. And even if you do, it's still up to you to know what's going on. You just never know...

This past weekend I went to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware for my nephew's wedding. What can I say? That's my family! Live in one state, have the wedding in another, and the reception in still another! :) Of course, living near Philly can make that easier! :) I wasn't really feeling up to it, but I'm glad I went. A small but loud group of the family from New York went to cheer him and his new bride on! We danced the night away at the reception! The last time I danced was at my son's wedding two years ago. Of course, at the time, I kept running out of breath and thought my heart would pound itself out of my chest and I didn't know why. Pre-diagnosis, you see. This time, though, once I got in motion, I kept up the pace for hours. I even kept up with the young'uns! Hell! Some of 'em had to keep up with me! :) Or at least I'd like to think that! :) Taught my great-niece to dance the lindy, twisted and shouted with my niece, and fruged, freddied, and jerked with my generation! Even tried some-o-that rap crap! Though I don't think I'll ever get quite use to songs like "Doin' Tha Butt"! :)

Have a job interview for a three month temporary assignment. Now that my levels are leveling off again, I'm up to going back to work. Temporary work has some great advantages considering you never know how you'll feel with this. Lucky for me that my last assignment ended just about the time I was starting to fall apart again. And having that month in between to get straightened around was extremely helpful. I've learned I'm just not ready for a life-long commitment to one job yet. Besides, this gives me a chance to "try before I buy" and see if I like the place I'd be working. You wouldn't offer to marry someone without getting to know them first. Well, getting a job is the same idea. Besides, if I am in a position that allows me to do things this way, why not? Personally, after all I've been through, I think it's about time I got some kind of break - even if it's just one. And this is a good one too, so I am very grateful to have it. Even if I don't get this particular job, I know I'll get something as good or even better soon. Just have to keep the faith!

I had something really neat happen last week. For those of you who have been keeping track of things here at "The War" :), you'll remember my telling you about the purple martin nest just outside my window. (August 20, 1997) Anyway, we left the nest there last fall and this spring some odd looking birds decided to move in, some kind of little wren with stripes and spots. They spent about three weeks "renovating" the nest. And not particularly well I might add! They poked lots of holes in the mud foundation and left plenty of straw and strings hanging all over! :) But after that was done to their satisfaction, I didn't see them for about a week. Then last week, I hear all this noise and squaking going on. When I looked out, there were the purple martins having a bird-fit because their "summer home" had been ransacked! They were taking bits and pieces of the "squatter's" nest out and the "squatter's" were trying to put it back in! :) This went on most of one morning, until I finally didn't see the little wrens come back. Now, for the last several days, we've had the purple martins making visits to the nest dozens of times a day, but they've quit trying to fix it. They just keep coming back and having bird-fits about the "condition of the place". It also looks like three sets of martins are trying to move in. It has to be some of the "kids" from last year trying to come home. :) Don't know now whether or not anyone will be nesting there again this year, but at least now I know the true meaning of the term "bird fit"! Not a pretty sight! :)

I do hope someone moves in! I had such a great time with that last year, and this year we have a cam-corder so I can get some of their antics on tape! Not to mention that purple martins are super bug eaters! Didn't have to do the "squash the spiders in the corner" thing even once after they moved in last summer!