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So true!!!! I think our governments regulate certain 'medicines' because they want to keep the best ones for themselves! Why, da noive of dem! I remember having some of those medicinal brownies before... way back in the early 70s... I didn't have these aches and pains then, either! Coincidence? I think not!

You gotta make friends with RoseKitty sweets. She hands them out like confetti! LOL

OH, sure, forget about me, eh? Hmpfttt! I'm making brownies TODAY and mailing them to you on Monday, so you should get them by Wed. Yes, sparks, you should plant a seed or 2 right in the centre of town and tell everyone it is the 'tree of.....um, aches and pains?' But mentalward is in the US, so I can't risk trying to send them over the border. She'll have to make them herself. Or I would share, really.

You're very welcome, Opal. I hope it helped! I'm going tomorrow... umm, today, actually, since it's almost 1:00 a.m. (I'm really having trouble getting to sleep tonight, even with all the meds my doctor gave me to help me sleep. I want to thank you, too, for the good wishes! The closer the time gets the more anxious I'm getting. I believe I'm as prepared as I can possibly be and I made sure to do a little extra moving around today to ensure that I'll feel absolutely horrible tomorrow! LOL Yeah, I know that sounds weird, but there are days when I overextend myself and I suffer terribly the next day because of it. I want this judge to witness with his own eyes just how bad I have it when I try to do too much. I'm sure he's seen more than his share of people trying to fake their level of pain and I want my pain to be REAL. If he's a good judge, he'll see that I'm not faking it. I got all my medical reports, I'm taking the letters I received from my congressman and senator saying they'll help me, I'm taking all my medications in a bag to prove that I am really taking them and I think I've gone over in my mind the kinds of questions the judge will be asking me so I'll know how to answer them. I'll be completely honest and my husband is going to be there with me so he can vouch for the amount of assistance I need for most things these days. I can't do laundry anymore because of the weight of the clothes and having to go up and down stairs, I can't wash any more than a few dishes at a time before my back starts screaming at me so my husband washes the dishes, stuff like that. He can also let the judge know just how bad my sleeping is and how some days I spend most of the day in bed because the pain is just too bad. I do feel that tomorrow, Friday the 13th, is a GOOD day for this hearing and I feel prepared and ready. BUT, I'm still so very anxious about it. Maybe that's because I've already been denied benefits 4 times during this one case! The depression I suffer due to my pain, mental problems (forgetfulness and inability to concentrate) and the fact that I can't do half of what I used to do might have something to do with my anxiety as well. I'll probably be a complete basket case by the time I get to the hearing office, but that would only help my case, you think? LOL I wish you much luck with your case! I hope that you don't have half the problems I've had and it doesn't take you half as long as it's taken me to reach this point. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes tomorrow, although I'll probably come home and collapse for awhile, unless I get good news tomorrow at the hearing. I kinda doubt I'll know anything tomorrow, though. I'll just have to TRY to be patient and wait and see. I've been begging for a miracle. I know my medical conditions won't go away so the miracle I've been asking for is to be approved for disability benefits. I hope, just this one time, I get my miracle. I don't normally ask for things for myself but I hope I can finally get the disability benefits I desperately need. Guess I'll go now and give sleeping another shot. I've already set my alarm so I won't oversleep. Wouldn't THAT be horrible! LOL Take care!

I thought I'd update you, Opal. My hearing went well, I think. I wasn't approved nor disapproved, but you'll never guess what the judge said to me... He's sending me for a NEW psych evaluation!!! So, I've got to go through that all over again. What a kick in the head, huh? Well, at least THIS time, I know what to expect. For that hearing I had yesterday, I purposely did NOT take any of my pain medication before going. I wanted the judge to see just how bad my physical pain is. I had no idea he's concentrate on the MENTAL side of it so much! But, evidentaly, he is. Maybe I convinced him that, physically, I'm having a very hard time, but he needs updated psych records because of my claim of horrible memory and concentration problems... probably has to do with my depression, too. I haven't seen a psychiatrist since late in 2007 because my depression is directly caused by KNOWN things and my rheumatologist has been keeping me on pretty much an even keel regarding the depression caused by my physical pain and inability to do the things I've always loved doing. The judge wants me evaluated by a psychiatrist so he's sending me to one of THEIR shrinks... again. He said after this evaluation, he'll make his decision regarding my eligibility. I'm going to take all the pain meds I usually take every day before I go. I'm also going to make sure that I don't make any special effort to get a good night's sleep the night before. I want to be as "normal" (for me) as I can be so this shrink gets a good feel for EXACTLY what I go through every day. So, for now, it's once again a waiting game... waiting for the notice of the appointment to see the shrink. Geesh... is this EVER going to be approved??? If I'm denied, AGAIN, I have one more appeal to file... in the Federal Court. I may just be a true basket case before all this is over with!

Well, actually if you think about it the news sounds pretty good! You know what to expect with the Shrink because you sure gave me the heads up! I did my "best" to forget and not answer those math questions!lol I appeared confused and forgetful! I'm quite sure you can do just as well! The person that is representing me told me the first Shrink said I was totally disabled. I don't know what the one I went to Thursday said yet. That was a more detailed exam because that one was for the State, the other one was for the County. If they match, hopefully I might have a chance. But, I think you are almost there. Really, you don't have much further to go. I believe it is just a formality at this point! So do all the things you know will "work" like you said and you should be able to get this over with. Honestly, I really couldn't answer the math questions! I really was confused! I'm taking 3 different psych meds! And I have chronic Insomnia! There's no faking that kind of confusion and memory problems! Don't worry, it will work out! If you want to talk to me, pm me your email addy because I can only receive pm's. I can't send. I will be happy to chat with you!

Oh, MAN!!! THAT would definitely make world news!!!

WOW! Do you remember what that antibiotic was? I'm curious because I get a lot of sinus infections and would hate to inadvertently take the wrong thing! I have fibromyalgia, lupus and arthritis, so it would definitely be one I would NOT want to take!

Her doctor says they're okay, but I don't trust doctors--not because I don't respect them but because like you say they're so incredibly busy and they're not infallible. Thanks again!

Thanks "mom". ....and, "young man"? Wow, you are so kind. Yeah, one med to cure all, WOULD be the answer indeed. (we should be so lucky) Personally...at this time only a 12 gauge shotgun can achieve that. :-))