Ben,

Sorry to hear you are laid up with the crud again, but you have made the most of it.  I thank you for your gift of looking at the glass half full, we all need to count our blessings that we have those we love and depend on us no matter what might be ailing us.

This Christmas, I was blessed with perfect health, but spent a lot of time, driving among five states in weather only a Raindeer could love, to be with those very close to me fighting cancer.  There were no gifts, just a lot of time talking and enjoying our time together.  My gift I recieved was seeing them laugh and have fun.

Oh gosh, love those medications where the side effects are as bad, sometimes worse than the condition! 

Ben & Jarrod, after all you guys went though I'm so glad you did get to enjoy the concert. 

Brandon: Glad you were able to make it home for Christmas with your son. I hope everything is taken care of now. 

Merry Christmas guys as well as everyone else out there!!! 

DRUMS01, I'm so sorry for all of your "difficulties' these past few days.  I pray and hope that you're on the mend.  As a father to a son who has special needs I know exactly what you mean by willing to do anything for them, to make those special memories.  I live in Wisconsin and also know the weather conditions that you're dealing with, white out conditions, drifting snow, wind chill temperatures to 30 below zero.  Hang in there because things ARE going to improve, and enjoy the holidays with your family.

tjs  

Ben, glad everything went well for you and your family at the concert. Been hoping to get to one of them someday. 

Thank you for the kind words and hoping you and yours have the best holiday season ever.

And to all of you out there in FSM land, may you and yours have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Stay Safe.

Jim 

Brother, I feel for ya. That has been, and continues to be a rough road. Great work on getting your son what he really wanted. I am truly impressed. Well done.

We spent 5 days in the hospital and just came home today with my special needs son, so I can totally relate. Glad to be home and have everyone here togther.

Merry Christmass everyone!!!

BK

Why yes, it's already time for an update to my Christmas Story.

So yesterday started with the same symptoms but now with new ones added by the antibiotic prescribed by the doctors. The funny thing even I found out before even receiving the medicine was the pharmacist (not the doctor) indicated that the antibiotic prescribed would react to one of my existing daily scripts and could cause severe and dangerous heart issues. Well thank goodness somebody caught that!

When I open the box of pills there was a book of warnings and instructions (I have never seen a larger one). Just under the drug interactions warning there was a list of no less then 130 different medications. I think I would've been easier to list what was NOT dangerous to take. Then there was another laundry list of other medical conditions that could severely complicate or make the condition worse that could make a chapter in a book, no kidding. I began to think, what kind of medication is this and why was it even made if it can't be used with most know medications of existing medical conditions? I was beginning to think I was given something stemming from a dangerous 1800's wonder elixir that might create more problems than it would cure, if it doesn't kill you.

Here's another funny, many of the side effects I'm experiencing from the infection are also some the same side effects possible with the medication. So now I am taking doctor prescribed medication with side effects which are the same as those it is trying to cure (???). To add to that, the book of horror also lists another chapter called allergic reactions. Without going into detail some of them are anaphylaxis, angioededressma, hives, Steven-Johnson Syndrome, exanthematous pustulosis, toxic epidermal necrolysis, eosinophilia, DRESS, and many, many more that I don't know about. Then they start talking about the possibility of serious changes to your heart rhythms and seek medical attention if fainting, seizures, or coma occurs, WAIT!,.... WHAT!!!!

Enough of all that stuff. One thing I can tell you is it make EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING smell and taste the same. If the smell had a taste it is the same and vise versa. I cannot really describe it other than it smells and tases like a partially metallic mild almond and some kind of heavy duty all purpose sanitizing cleaner that you would smell in a hospital. 

SO HOW DID THE TSO CONCERT GO? (did I say I would do anything for my son) Let me say up front that this story would make a real funny segment in any of the National Lampoon family vacation movies.

(PHASE 1) It started with a normal drive of 30 minutes becoming two hours because of the level 3 travel emergency. It really did not feel like I was driving much, more like I was flying above the road at 30 MPH while using all controls (flaps, rudder, etc) available to keep the drift and yaw to a minimum. There was no fast, slow, stop, accelerate, passing, just a very deliberate constant crawl between 30-35mph for 45 miles. All of this along with the infection and medication side effects. it was great... NOT!

(PHASE 2) Once we arrived I thought, well thank goodness that my wife pre-paid (a large sum) for parking beside the venue, considering it was already 30 degrees below wind chill. Where was it you say?, well she did not keep the directions and considering we were downtown in the state capital, there are numerous parking garages (not just one obvious one). So when I asked her to identify which one she looked it up again. It eventually gave her an address. The address ended up being a small building where the corporate business offices are for that parking authority, not the specific parking garage. So I had her try the phone number associated with it to find it had closed for the day (no response, no on-call). We eventually circled back to the venue, stopped in the middle of the road (like everyone else) then proceeded to unload my sons in his wheelchair near the concert building.  

(PHASE 3) When getting Jarrod out of the van, my wife gave me her phone telling me where the E-tickets are so we could get into the show while she parks the van in one of the available garages. It all happened in an instance and then I thought, if I have her phone how will I be able to reach her and tell her where we would be waiting for her. You see, I had her ticket in the phone too. Lucky for me I was able to remember her passcode to the phone as her phones facial recognition did not see my face as hers (smile). After digging through her "wallet" in her phone within hundreds of items I found them (she deletes nothing from her phone and never closes any applications). Then I had a wonderful idea! I can call her Apple watch to let her know where we were,... it worked.... once. That was because she was in proximity of the van which was synchronized with her phone and allowed her watch to work. Once she left any distance from the van in downtown Columbus all connectivity to the watch was gone. Well 30 minutes later we finally got back together and into the venue.

(PHASE 4) As we were being directed to the seating it became aware that my wife did not purchase handicapped seating. When I asked about it she said she knew it wasn't handicapped but thought it would still work.... really? Instead it was somewhere we could not go with the wheelchair. Just about that time I became overcome with a strong urge to throw my wife over the balcony (just kidding kind of...) Just then a 102 year old usher who took 6 inch steps came to assist. He worked with the venue to find a space for use in a handicapped area 15 minutes before the show start. Five minutes later he can back telling us that the seats we were in were sold and the people were checked in at the door so we had to be moved again, to another level and section of the venue. Well seconds prior to the start of the concert we were seated, as if it was ordained to be so.

The concert itself was fantastic. If you've never seen the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas show I can tell you that it is a must see, highly unique and very highly recommended. By the end of the show all was well and everything was better in the world.... my antibiotic was having me feel better too. The drive home was even worse than the trip to the show, but after seeing Jarrod's enjoyment and happiness it makes it all worth the effort. 

MORAL OR THE STORY: If I can put up with a serious infection/sickness and all this crap, push through all the other crap along the way to achieve a special moment to last forever, than you and everyone else can too. 

So that is my wish to you all.... please push through all the crap in your life to make a special forever moment this Christmas for you and your loved ones. Be careful in your travels and be patient with your significant family and friends. 

Have a safe, healthy, and beautiful Christmas everyone!  

I have a cat that sleeps with me every night. We have four cats, my wife's #1 cat is an all white, deaf cat that hacks up a lot and is quite the psycho. Yeah, he's gotten me quite good, but gotten her even worse.

My cat (the only girl cat) gnaws on my hand as I go to bed, and has, on occasion, given me a scratch that leaves a mark.

The other two cats are sweet and don't scratch or bite at all.

Bummer!   What is the treatment?  I hope your on your feet by Christmas! 

Sorry to hear that news Ben. We'll keep you in our thoughts and prayers for a quick and total recovery.

A little while after I got my kidney transplant, the little girl next door brought us a kitten she found in the bushes at her soccer field. Her mom was allergic to cats. We couldn't resist and he became a member of the household. He was very, very "playful" and left many scratches on my arms that seemed not to be healing. My wife called our family doctor and gave him the news. He quickly said "Get him to the ER IMMEDIATELY , I'll call them and let them know you're coming and that he is immune suppressed". Don't remember all the stuff they did and gave me but it all worked and I never really felt any symptoms like you did. Guess I got lucky that time.

Stay Safe. 

Jim 

Oh krap, hope you're better soon Ben, that sounds really painful. 

And ouch HooYah and Armournut, glad you guys are better now. 

  When I first met my wife she had a HUGE short hair tabby. He was de clawed but was " functional"....we had a head board that was 12ins wide and fairly low but above the bed. Somewhere around 0 dark thirty Thor decsided to walk across said headboard....SOMEHOW he managed to fall off...square on my face BIPPITY BOPPITY BOOP AND WHOOSH, ahead of several bouts of foul language he got away with his life and cathood in tact. Still remember thinking I could hear him snickering from the living room. Never traveled that headboard agian though.

I am a 'cat' person. I like dogs too, but cats are far more my pet of choice.

That being said, I have been inflicted upon by cats in the past and have had to go to the ER or at least 'Urgent Care' a couple of times as a result. For an example, last April I was sleeping peacefully (0530 in the freaking A.M.) when suddenly a chase erupted down the hall and headed toward our bedroom. The culprits jumped up on the bed and passing above my wife's head, made a U-turn on my face and then rapidly exited the room. I was fortunate in that there was no eye injury, but my face took a bit of abuse. A few hours later I went into the urgent care and while up to date on my tetanus shoots, received an antibiotic, just in case.

And a good time was had by all.      The End

Aww that sucks Ben!  I wish you a speedy recovery.  You folks on the mainland are getting slammed by winter weather - I wish I could send some warm, mild Hawaii weather your way.  If only I could find a suitable box. It won't fit in the USPS flat rate ones.  

My sister's boyfriend's cat "Mo the Mozerator, Destroyer of Worlds" is a rough play biter, and he really savaged my arm the last time I was over.  But strangely, all the scratches and bites didn't swell up, and my arm healed in a week.  I usually get welts and the scars last for weeks!

Anyway, please take care, get better, and stay away from cats!

    That sounds HORRIBLE!! Hope you feel better soon. I'm allergic to cats but I seem to " de sensitize" quickly as we have had several over the years. I do react to sctarches and such but not to that extreme.

    Truly hope thing swing better for ya Drums, for what it is worth Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.