I'm baaaccckkkk......
EndersShadow
Posts: 17,590
So my time away was a decently short, which is a good thing as it means I am back and feeling "better". I figured an update was in store. Its a bit long, but I figure either youll read it all or not lol.
On the Crohns front, my GI Doc and I met on 3/28 to discuss whats going on. The doctor and I discussed that I have a very aggressive case of Crohns and we both need to be very vigilant in making sure we deal with symptoms as soon as they occur as my body seems to deteriorate quite quickly once I start to flare. It does appear I have a fistula (wont go into details there) that is/was the main cause of the infections and temperature that kept putting me in the hospital. After a long discussion on methods of treatments, diets, etc we decided to switch my main Crohns drug from Humira to Remicaide. This is a pretty big deal as it goes from a self-administered shot once a week taking like 2 mins to a infusion at a oncology center taking 4 hours. I havent yet found out what the cost difference is if any.
I am still on antibiotics with another 2 weeks to go on them and at my next appointment we will determine if I continue on them for longer.
I had my first infusion on 3/30 which was actually a GREAT experience which seems weird considering its at a oncology center with folks getting their cancer treatments so let me explain. My brother went through a bunch of medical drama last year from May - August of last year. They determined he had a fistula (just like I do now) and also had Crohns. He was seeing a doctor at one hospital who had him on Humira just like me. He recently met with another doctor within the group I am seen by and she took him on as a patient. The first thing she did was change him to Remicade since it helps heal fistulas (which his still has not healed/closed yet).
So when they switched me to Remicaide it actually coincided with his treatments so I scheduled my first infusion at the same date/time as his first treatment. So I got to hang out with my brother for 4 hours which made the whole thing much more bearable. After the infusion I felt about 50 times better. I went with my wife and brother out to a late lunch at one of my favorite breakfast places and for the first time in about 5 months I cleared my plate, the food tasted awesome, and I was actually hungry. To top it all off I was hungry for dinner as well.
Since then things have continued to progressively get better. I wont get into details, but certain areas that were causing me problems have started to almost return to normal. I know I am still in full flare, and have another infusion scheduled for this Friday. After this and my next infusion it will become a standard 8 weeks between treatments. In addition my employer is GREAT and the absences are covered by FMLA (required by law), AND also paid by work (which isnt required, but is SUPER NICE).
Its also nice that my brother and I are on the same treatment date/times until he goes to college. Will be more fun with him there and a nice bonding experience for both of us.
So things on that front have been going much better and my outlook has been getting better accordingly.
On the home front, last weekend we moved to a 3 bedroom 1.75 bathroom townhome in Zionsville, which is a much smaller community located right outside Indianapolis. Its a much slower pace and more family oriented. We have access to a major walking trail/park right out our back patio, as well as a strip mall with a bunch of small mom and pop eateries. It was a hectic weekend moving and we are still getting settled in. My wife is loving all the birds she is seeing outside on her birdfeeder and we have hopes we will have a nest in our "See Rock City" birdhouse. We have our new fire pit and patio set out as well as my charcoal grill and plan to possibly buy a birdbath for the wife. I will be posting pictures once we get everything all setup. Our commutes are about the same for both of us so that nice. Also by moving we save 22 bucks a month on our insurance bill between all our policies (renter, car, life, etc)
On the Home Theater Front I dont have my HT setup fully yet as I am attempting to talk the wife into another set of LSi 15s for my surrounds rather than mounting the Infinity Primus 162s I have now. I plan to run the auto calibration in my Integra this upcoming Sunday to get my 15s, LSiC and sub configured right. I am hoping with some of my bonus money to upgrade my amp and also get 2 more sets of MIT Exp1 ICs and 3-4 sets of Exp2 speaker cables along with a Squeezebox Touch.
On the 2 channel setup nothing new to report. Still playing FLAC via Mediamonkey sent over pepsters Phillips coaxial cable to my HK 3490 driving a set of Monitor 60?s. This setup might be getting some upgrades but not sure, this setup gets last priority right now since my wife doesnt want me to upgrade from the Monitor 60?s so good DACs and cables wont make as much of a difference as they could.
On the Portable Audio front, I have been working on getting a portable work rig setup and just got in my first addition to that, an Objective 2 portable headphone amp. I am planning on adding a custom Line Out Adaptor for my iPhone 4 which will be my source. I am looking at also acquiring a nice set of ALO modded Ultrasone HFI-780 headphones. I am researching the best method for converting FLAC to a format iTunes works with so I can enjoy as decent quality as you can get from your iPhone. **Note** I am not looking to go crazy here since I wont use this system tons so I figure that ~500 invested is more than enough for a long long time.
And finally on the Car Audio front I hope to drop on some SR 5250s, along with a new headunit (to be decided upon), and a TC Sounds 15" LMS-R that will go in a 2 foot cubic foot sealed box with 1-2 lbs of polyfill. I will be using my iPhone here as a source as well via the USB port and the headunit will be one that bypasses the internal DACs of the phone to use its better ones. I plan to keep my Sundown Amps and sell off the Treo TE sub and box I have now. I will move the db6501 components from the front to the rear and run those off the headunit.
So that in a nutshell wraps up whats been going on here recently with me. Glad to be back, feeling good, and ready to re-engage with you guys.
On the Crohns front, my GI Doc and I met on 3/28 to discuss whats going on. The doctor and I discussed that I have a very aggressive case of Crohns and we both need to be very vigilant in making sure we deal with symptoms as soon as they occur as my body seems to deteriorate quite quickly once I start to flare. It does appear I have a fistula (wont go into details there) that is/was the main cause of the infections and temperature that kept putting me in the hospital. After a long discussion on methods of treatments, diets, etc we decided to switch my main Crohns drug from Humira to Remicaide. This is a pretty big deal as it goes from a self-administered shot once a week taking like 2 mins to a infusion at a oncology center taking 4 hours. I havent yet found out what the cost difference is if any.
I am still on antibiotics with another 2 weeks to go on them and at my next appointment we will determine if I continue on them for longer.
I had my first infusion on 3/30 which was actually a GREAT experience which seems weird considering its at a oncology center with folks getting their cancer treatments so let me explain. My brother went through a bunch of medical drama last year from May - August of last year. They determined he had a fistula (just like I do now) and also had Crohns. He was seeing a doctor at one hospital who had him on Humira just like me. He recently met with another doctor within the group I am seen by and she took him on as a patient. The first thing she did was change him to Remicade since it helps heal fistulas (which his still has not healed/closed yet).
So when they switched me to Remicaide it actually coincided with his treatments so I scheduled my first infusion at the same date/time as his first treatment. So I got to hang out with my brother for 4 hours which made the whole thing much more bearable. After the infusion I felt about 50 times better. I went with my wife and brother out to a late lunch at one of my favorite breakfast places and for the first time in about 5 months I cleared my plate, the food tasted awesome, and I was actually hungry. To top it all off I was hungry for dinner as well.
Since then things have continued to progressively get better. I wont get into details, but certain areas that were causing me problems have started to almost return to normal. I know I am still in full flare, and have another infusion scheduled for this Friday. After this and my next infusion it will become a standard 8 weeks between treatments. In addition my employer is GREAT and the absences are covered by FMLA (required by law), AND also paid by work (which isnt required, but is SUPER NICE).
Its also nice that my brother and I are on the same treatment date/times until he goes to college. Will be more fun with him there and a nice bonding experience for both of us.
So things on that front have been going much better and my outlook has been getting better accordingly.
On the home front, last weekend we moved to a 3 bedroom 1.75 bathroom townhome in Zionsville, which is a much smaller community located right outside Indianapolis. Its a much slower pace and more family oriented. We have access to a major walking trail/park right out our back patio, as well as a strip mall with a bunch of small mom and pop eateries. It was a hectic weekend moving and we are still getting settled in. My wife is loving all the birds she is seeing outside on her birdfeeder and we have hopes we will have a nest in our "See Rock City" birdhouse. We have our new fire pit and patio set out as well as my charcoal grill and plan to possibly buy a birdbath for the wife. I will be posting pictures once we get everything all setup. Our commutes are about the same for both of us so that nice. Also by moving we save 22 bucks a month on our insurance bill between all our policies (renter, car, life, etc)
On the Home Theater Front I dont have my HT setup fully yet as I am attempting to talk the wife into another set of LSi 15s for my surrounds rather than mounting the Infinity Primus 162s I have now. I plan to run the auto calibration in my Integra this upcoming Sunday to get my 15s, LSiC and sub configured right. I am hoping with some of my bonus money to upgrade my amp and also get 2 more sets of MIT Exp1 ICs and 3-4 sets of Exp2 speaker cables along with a Squeezebox Touch.
On the 2 channel setup nothing new to report. Still playing FLAC via Mediamonkey sent over pepsters Phillips coaxial cable to my HK 3490 driving a set of Monitor 60?s. This setup might be getting some upgrades but not sure, this setup gets last priority right now since my wife doesnt want me to upgrade from the Monitor 60?s so good DACs and cables wont make as much of a difference as they could.
On the Portable Audio front, I have been working on getting a portable work rig setup and just got in my first addition to that, an Objective 2 portable headphone amp. I am planning on adding a custom Line Out Adaptor for my iPhone 4 which will be my source. I am looking at also acquiring a nice set of ALO modded Ultrasone HFI-780 headphones. I am researching the best method for converting FLAC to a format iTunes works with so I can enjoy as decent quality as you can get from your iPhone. **Note** I am not looking to go crazy here since I wont use this system tons so I figure that ~500 invested is more than enough for a long long time.
And finally on the Car Audio front I hope to drop on some SR 5250s, along with a new headunit (to be decided upon), and a TC Sounds 15" LMS-R that will go in a 2 foot cubic foot sealed box with 1-2 lbs of polyfill. I will be using my iPhone here as a source as well via the USB port and the headunit will be one that bypasses the internal DACs of the phone to use its better ones. I plan to keep my Sundown Amps and sell off the Treo TE sub and box I have now. I will move the db6501 components from the front to the rear and run those off the headunit.
So that in a nutshell wraps up whats been going on here recently with me. Glad to be back, feeling good, and ready to re-engage with you guys.
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
Post edited by EndersShadow on
Comments
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Glad your feeling better. Hope it stays that way.
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There goes the neighborhood...:razz:The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
+1 what Chumlie said.2 ChannelTurntable - VPI Classic 2/Ortofon 2M BlueAmplification - Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II, Parks Audio Budgie PhonoSpeakers - GoldenEar Triton 17.2 Home TheaterDenon AVR-X3300W; Rotel RMB-1066; Klipsch RP-280F's, Klipsch RP-450C, Polk FXi3's, Polk RC60i; Dual SVS PB 2000's; BenQ HT2050; Elite Screens 120"Man CaveTurntable - Pro-Ject 2.9 Wood/Grado GoldAmplification - Dared SL2000a, McCormack DNA 0.5 DeluxeCD: Cambridge AudioSpeakers - Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary; LSiM 703; SDA 2A
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Stay well Ole Timer!Relax take it easy!Chillout with some tunes or a good movie.
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Glad to hear from you, I almost PMd you yesterday to see how you were doing, but I'm lazy! I'll be in Indy in June for moms/uncle bday party, more details to come!
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Welcome back bro, glad you're feeling better.Shoot the jumper.....................BALLIN.............!!!!!
Home Theater Pics in the Showcase :cool:
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=73580 -
Glad u are feeling a bit better,Good to have you back around.Dan
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Welcome back, I'm glad to see you are feeling better, good thoughts sent your way for continuous improvement!Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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Glad things are looking up!Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs -
Glad the new treatment is not only working on the problem, but making you actually feel better. A little time with your brother is a nice side benefit!integrated w/DAC module Gryphon Diablo 300
server Wolf Alpha 3SX
phono pre Dynamic Sounds Associates Phono II
turntable/tonearms Origin Live Sovereign Mk3 dual arm, Origin Live Enterprise Mk4, Origin Live Illustrious Mk3c
cartridges Miyajima Madake, Ortofon Windfeld Ti, Ortofon
speakers Rockport Mira II
cables Synergistic Research Cables, Gryphon VPI XLR, Sablon 2020 USB
rack Adona Eris 6dw
ultrasonic cleaner Degritter -
I had an anal fistula(ouch!),off and on for 15 years.....it's no joke....glad you're doing better
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Glad to hear from you, I almost PMd you yesterday to see how you were doing, but I'm lazy! I'll be in Indy in June for moms/uncle bday party, more details to come!
Yeah man, let me know. Maybe we can hook up and do some listening to my rig. That and maybe you can bring your SMS-1 so I can see how it works lol.......
If you are familiar with Indy at all I am about 15 mins north of the pyramids on the northwest side in Zionsville"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Great to hear your feeling better. You will love the SMS-1.engtaz
I love how music can brighten up a bad day. -
Nice to have you back, feeling well and ready to rock!
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Congratulations on your Health returning, and your new Home. Welcome BackHome Theater
Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable
2 Channel
Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+
Stuff for the Head
JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365
Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin
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This is great news! I am so glad that you are feeling better! I hope and pray that your recovery and your brother's continue to progress. It sound like your head is in a good place and hopefully your body will follow. Peace!Carl
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Welcome back, glad things are on the upswing for ya"Science is suppose to explain observations not dismiss them as impossible" - Norm on AA; 2.3TL's w/sonicaps/mills/jantzen inductors, Gimpod's boards, Lg Solen SDA inductors, RD-0198's, MW's dynamatted, Armaflex speaker gaskets, H-nuts, brass spikes, Cardas CCGR BP's, upgraded IC Cable, Black Hole Damping Sheet strips, interior of cabinets sealed with Loctite Power Grab, AI-1 interface with 1000VA A-L transformer
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Nice to see you around bud. You didn't miss much around here.
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Hope your health keeps getting better and better and better!Remember, when you're running from something, you're running to something...-me
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First of all glad you are feeling better.
Now, After hearing how you felt better right after the infusion answers a few questions. Sorry if I sound preachy it is not my intention. I am just concerned for a fellow Chronnie and Polkie.
1, You need to drink more water. Like 8 full glasses a day. Or supplement a couple with Gatorade or equivalent. Coffee and Soda don't count. If you felt better right after it is because you are/were dehydrated. It takes from 2 - 6 weeks for Remicaide to kick in. Even when you are currently on a similar med. The fact that you felt almost instant relief sounds just like me and a few others I know that get dehydrated on meds and don't know it. Antibiotics are notorious for dehydrating the body.
2. Mentally it sounds like you are in a better place, that is one of the biggest issues with Crohn's. Make sure you keep an open dialect with your Dr or whoever to help keep your mind straight. I can't stress this point enough to people with CD or any other acute issues.
3. Shoot me a PM if you ever need to talk or whatever. I can give you my Phone # or we can chat via PM. Let me know.
Glad your doing better. -
First of all glad you are feeling better.
Now, After hearing how you felt better right after the infusion answers a few questions. Sorry if I sound preachy it is not my intention. I am just concerned for a fellow Chronnie and Polkie.
1, You need to drink more water. Like 8 full glasses a day. Or supplement a couple with Gatorade or equivalent. Coffee and Soda don't count. If you felt better right after it is because you are/were dehydrated. It takes from 2 - 6 weeks for Remicaide to kick in. Even when you are currently on a similar med. The fact that you felt almost instant relief sounds just like me and a few others I know that get dehydrated on meds and don't know it. Antibiotics are notorious for dehydrating the body.
2. Mentally it sounds like you are in a better place, that is one of the biggest issues with Crohn's. Make sure you keep an open dialect with your Dr or whoever to help keep your mind straight. I can't stress this point enough to people with CD or any other acute issues.
3. Shoot me a PM if you ever need to talk or whatever. I can give you my Phone # or we can chat via PM. Let me know.
Glad your doing better.
No offense taken. With regards to water that is something I have been working on, since I am on Cipro and Flagly currently. I forgot to mention that in addition to the remicaide they gave me a direct IV bag of some sort of steriods/medicine as well and that might also help explain things a bit but I honestly dont know.
I totally agree with you that stress and emotions play a massive role in both getting better, and getting worse with Crohns. I have worked hard to make sure I let the little things just roll of my back and not stress as much as possible.
I will definately keep in contact with you either way as there are some things only folks with crohns understand lol....."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
glad to hear things are looking up. Hope that you keeo feeling better.
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Glad to see you back and feeling better.
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
Glad you are feeling better! Some of the RAS guys were talking about getting together soon, so I'll let you know if it happens.Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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Welcome back Dan! Glad things are looking a bit better.2-ch System: Parasound P/LD 2000 pre, Parasound HCA-1000 amp, Parasound T/DQ Tuner, Phase Technology PC-100 Tower speakers, Technics SL-1600 Turntable, Denon 2910 SACD/CD player, Peachtree DAC iT and X1asynchorus USB converter, HSU VTF-3 subwoofer.
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SCompRacer wrote: »Glad you are feeling better! Some of the RAS guys were talking about getting together soon, so I'll let you know if it happens.
Cool, although I dont know if I would be able to handle the razzing of being the "newbie". Especially given my lack of knowledge of most decent music pre 1990 , and just about EVERYTHING vinyl. On the flip side cstmar01 could come without fear :biggrin: :razz: "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
SCompRacer wrote: »Glad you are feeling better! Some of the RAS guys were talking about getting together soon, so I'll let you know if it happens.
Yep, we were it would be nice to meet you."Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
EndersShadow wrote: »Cool, although I dont know if I would be able to handle the razzing of being the "newbie".
Oh, so now you are saying we are old?
IMO, our little group has went beyond casual acquaintance to more like family, brothers. I don't think there is anything we couldn't or wouldn't say to one another.:twisted: Maybe we got velocitized and forget to cut new folks among us some slack.:cheesygrin:Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 * -
SCompRacer wrote: »Oh, so now you are saying we are old?
IMO, our little group has went beyond casual acquaintance to more like family, brothers. I don't think there is anything we couldn't or wouldn't say to one another.:twisted: Maybe we got velocitized and forget to cut new folks among us some slack.:cheesygrin:
LOL... meant in jest as you no doubt figured out. I can take it and I can dish it too :twisted:. With friends like mine, I didnt need enemy's or help with having a thick skin lol.
I have my flame suit on 24/7. FLAME ON! "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
I'm Glad your spirits are high.
It's great when Doctors get it right!!!
That disease isn't good and to hear you've overcome some of it's hardships is awsome. I hope those good thoughts and feelings continue !!!Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
