Maritzia’s Thoughts

Since my camera decided to come back from the dead and I got the niftly little i-rocks hub, I’ve got lots of pictures to share. I’m only putting a few here (well, maybe more than a few) but I’m putting them behind a cut so those who don’t care for pet pictures don’t have to be slowed down by them. Although, if you don’t care for pet pictures, what the hell are you doing at my blog, yeh evil thing you!

By the way, I highly recommend that i-rocks reader I have linked up there. It takes almost all camera media plus has space for 3 usb drives. And it works like a charm. I’m quite impressed. And New Egg has a great deal on them at the moment (half the price I paid just about 2 months ago *laughs*).

If you want to see all the pics, you can wander over to my Yahoo Photos album. Otherwise, continue for just a few.

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I sent out 51 letters on Saturday to doctors in my county and the neighboring one.  I got several immediate responses from doctors who only called to tell me that what I wanted was dangerous (*expletive deleted* doctors).  However, last night I got a very nice e-mail from a doctor who agrees that there is some merit to the theory of thyroid resistance and is currently treating patients with supraphysiological doses.  She said that as long as I understand the possible side effects and agree to adequate monitoring, she’s willing to treat me.  Hooray!

I figured it’d take me months to find someone who was willing to help me and would probably have to pay out of pocket.  But this woman is actually on my insurance!  Granted, she’s over an hour away, but my doctor in Houston was too.  Heck, I’d drive across the state if I could find a doctor open to helping me.

On the same day, I got a call from a local clinic about a clinical trial for a new antidepressant that they’ve had really good results with in treating the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia.  So Mark is picking up the information on it for me this morning.  It’s called milnacipran, and they’ve had really good results with it in Europe, where several trials have been run.  So, I’m excited about that possibility.  While the thyroid helps most of my symptoms, it really never did anything for the pain.  That has always continued to be a problem.  So, with any luck I’ll get in on that trial as well.

In other news, I had a talk with my boss this week about my future after he leaves.  He tried to work it so I could get enough money out of unemployment that I could take a layoff package and go back to school full time, but that didn’t work out.  So, he said he would make sure there is a place for me where I don’t have to take a substantial pay cut.  So keep your fingers crossed for me.

I took some new pictures of the puppies, but I haven’t downloaded them yet.  I’ll post them when I do.  They’re just so darn cute!  Even if I do say so myself.

So, all in all, I’m much less stressed out (which is good because I’m all broken out with shingles and my bowel is in an uproar) and feeling quite a bit more positive.  Now we just need to find a place just on the other side of the border that’s still close enough for me to commute!

A couple of things running around in my head today….

First…for you Pagans out there…the Pagan Unity Campaign.  I actually had a survey last week that included Wiccan under the religion question.  It’s a start, but it kind of ignored every Pagan out there that wasn’t Wiccan.  I answered “Other”.  Still, remind your representatives that this isn’t an entirely Christian country.

Next…yes, it’s time for more of my vaguely spiritual ramblings….  Yesterday I was watching Little Buddha on On-Demand (love, love, love On-Demand).  Anyway, when they were telling of the Buddha’s enlightenment, I was struck by the similarities with Jesus.  Both were assailed by demons trying to tempt them away from their path.  Both were following a “middle path” as it were.  Buddha said that enlightenment lay in the way between the extremes.  Jesus talked about the balance between the needs of the law and the needs of humanity.  And why, you ask, do these things strike me as important?  I guess, being raised Southern Baptist and all the stress among the evangelical churches about their way being the only way…well, it seems to me that the way of Jesus (which is not to be confused with the ways of his churches) is not all that afar from the ways of some other religions.  And if that is the case, why the insistence that all of us others are going to hell. I’ve always been fascinated by the differences and similarities of the various religions.

On the pet news, we had Bluebelle spayed last week.  She’s made a fabulous recovery, but has rediscovered her innate whineyness.  As a puppy, she would whine incessantly whenever she wanted something.  We had sort of broken her of that these last few months.  But after her surgery last week, we were, of course, much more attentive whenever she whined, so now she is back in the habit again.  Poor puppy.  I hate to ignore her, but that seems to be the only way to break her of that particular habit.  She’s even gotten to where she’s barking at us during meals again, which we had also broken her of.

Now, I just have to convince Mark that we really, really need another cat!  *laughs maniacally*

I’ve started knitting again.  I’ve gotten a little bored with crocheting, and as I hadn’t knitted since I first learned in college, I decided to take it up again.  So, I got myself a book and retaught myself the basics.  I’m working on a rib knit scarf for practice from some old Red Heart I had lying around.  I’m about half finished with it, and will post a pic when I’m done.  It’s not that good, at least the first half of what I’ve knitted, but my stitches are slowly getting  more even.  I’m thinking of making my sister the cable knit afghan in the How To book next.