The one thing that makes me shiver every time is "How are you doing?" I've resorted to a generic answer of "I'm good" regardless of how stiff, numb, spiderful (lol), nauseated I may be. It's the easiest way to get pass without having to explain that the medication may not feel like working today, or it hasn't started working yet, or my body is just tired or there are side effects to EVERYTHING I'm taking or I really can't tell you what is wrong but I'm not feeling good. So "I'm good" covers well. There are some that know how to repeat the question so that I can give a more detailed answer but for the most part the elude the explanation trick is working. :-)

One week away from my recent episode and I'm on the way to some normalcy. Neck movement is not 100% but 100% better than last Friday. I'm quite happy to be back to this level. I can't even begin to explain it. Still "taking it easy" for the most part. Medication is having a war with my inner body but... I can move. Got some word on assistance for my surgery but that mouth is so tainted. I'm not ready to put my hopes there yet.

But I'm good...well better. And praising everyday that I'm waking up with less pain than the day before.

Wow. What a weekend. I'm still in shock. It's been a whirlwind experience.

I woke up Friday morning at 2am to tinkle. By the time I was ready to go back to bed I had a "stiff neck". I was pissed lol. This was going to hinder me from sleeping. I finally got out of bed at 7 to get ready for work and realised that I couldn't pick my towel up from where it had fallen. My neck was STIFF!! I had to ask my room mate to fold up my shirt sleeve after taking a while to put my jeans off. I questioned my driving ability but when I got to the car I was able to maneuver and felt I was good to go.

When I got to work 45 mins later was another story. I could barely look to the left or the right. I had to lift my leg out of the car. I shuffled to the building and prayed that someone was there to open the door. I could barely lift my handbag. I got the my office door and it took me ten minutes to get the door open. I prayed that someone was already there. No one was. I needed to take my medication at that point. But I couldnt get the cup from the holder to get water. I couldn't look down, up, sideways without excruciating pain. I couldn't use my phone to call anyone for help. Fortunately my mother talks to me every morning and called me to find out what's happening. I was able to just press answer and tell her. I was able to log into facebook and send a message to 3 friends praying they would call me ASAP. My sister did. The pain was indescribable. On a scale of 1 - 10...12 would be too low. I was shaking. My body started convulsing at intervals. I was alone at work. I couldn't get up from the chair to even go to another office to ask for help. My phone being touch screen needed two touches to get to numbers. I couldn't look to do that. My room mate texted me to find out if I got to work ok.. I was able to respond "cajj". She responded "english". I couldn't attempt to send anything else to her. My sister was 45 mins away with no traffic. Friday traffic would take her more than an hour. I could be paralyzed by then. I could be dead by then. All these thoughts in my head. Finally my coworker came. In a frenzy she was able to get me water and I was able to take my meds. 20 mins later I was picked up and refused by urgent care who insisted I needed to head straight to an ER. The rest is a daze. Xray, injections, no clue.

I was just knocked out tired by 3pm. An 8 hour ordeal. 2 days later I have limited movement of my neck but I can move it. My body is fighting all these medications that keep adding to my list. I'm now on full blown vicodin, mobic, ibuprofen, my already heavy neurontin. I have to take aviane for my hormone deficiency. Thank goodness I refused them with the paxil offer to help my serotonin. Now adding vitamin C, D and E to help my body with the intake of these things.

The scariest part? No valid reason for this flare up. I have seriously been taking it easy. So who knows when another one is going to just randomly happen. I can't drive right now. I can't even be in a car for too long as a passenger.

Happy to be able to talk about it today. So thankful for my friends and my sister. If I had taken that pill any later who knows what could have been the outcome.

Life... enjoy it!!!