Miscellaneous paragraphs and minor ramblings

First of all - apologies to Garrett - It was his wife who suggested that we look about fibromyalgia. (I can't believe I can spell that word). We have the appointment scheduled for a week from today (Tuesday) with a pediatric rheumatologist.

Thank you, Garrett - and to your lovely wife as well. :)

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Next, on the advice of the PR, we are going to see our "regular" pediatrician later this morning. She will get the preliminary lab work done for us - apparently there are special blood tests that can indicate if what Twinks has is arthritis, fibromyalgia, or ... ? something else? I am clutching a laundry list of what the PR called "indicators", although it looks much like alphabet soup to me. We are supposed to make sure that all of these indicators are tested for, and to get copies of the results to hand-carry to the PR next Tuesday.

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Spring Break came and went at our house with little fanfare; Twinks spent most of it trying to get caught up with her classmates on her homework. It is amazing to me that she can do the work armed only with a textbook, and three hours of instruction from the Homebound Teacher every week - and she is still scoring consistently high A's in all of her subjects. She plans on sitting for the AP/Honors testing next week, and has already been recommended by her English teacher for AP/Honors English next year.

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I need some landscaping help - anyone out there know anything about how to keep bunnies from eating your baby trees? (and please - no bad jokes involving carrots and/or diapers.) I have a seedling from the Lincoln Farm in Illinois that I want to plant, but there is a rouge batch of bunnies living around here somewhere (I think under our garden shed) that have been chewing on my two-year old native trees already, and I don't want to lose my Lincoln tree to them. Any suggestions that don't hurt the bunnies are welcome.

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I have to report that Twinks is worse than ever. The pain that started last summer in her legs, and moved down to her feet, has now crept all the way up her back, over her shoulders, and is down her arms into her hands. There is little of her that does not hurt; when we hold her as she cries, we worry that merely holding her may make her hurt more.

I don't know how much longer she can bear up under this pain. I am nearly mad with the grief of watching her suffer now - and I can't let it show. She actually apologized to The Wrench and I tonight, because she thought that she was being "too much of a whiner".

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Finally, I have to say Thank You to all of you who keep coming here and reading. Your comments have all been so positive, and it really does make a difference. It is more than just that first thrill you have, when you realize that someone is reading your blog. It is about knowing that there is a connection on the other side of the screen. It is about what so many of us have come to realize - this "family" of bloggers and readers that has happened is so precious. I wouldn't know most of you by sight if I saw you on the street, but I feel like I know your hearts and souls from your words. And your words have comforted me much and often, especially lately. Thank you again.