Thank you :grouphug:

So the physical exam was normal. There was no swelling going on at that time. He ordered RA, ANA, Uric Acid, Lyme's, and sed rate. Everything but the ANA should be back by Monday (ANA takes a week). He said if results are positive, or even if they are negative but the problems are still there, he will send me to a Rheumatologist. He also prescribed a twice-a-day anti-inflammatory but the name escapes me at the moment. He took my pain seriously and I pray *something* shows up in the bloodwork so we can move forward.

Thank you so much! I will bring these up to him.

My insurance does require a referral, unfortunately. I think I am unnecessarily worried about not getting one.

I am glad to see that I am not the only one alarmed by the rate this seems to be developing. It is so easy to talk myself into thinking that it's not as bad as I think, etc. But trouble with grasping and the widespread pain is reminding me this is not normal. I just hope the GP does not give me trouble with getting the referral. I pray he has an open mind and is willing to listen.

But I think in general, it is always good to be hyper vigilant in an unknown country, especially if you do not speak the native tongue. I think it can be much more harmful for a tourist to think they are safe simply because they are Westerners. And this isn't an India-only issue -- I do the same in large cities that are unfamiliar to me (Boston, NYC, etc.) because there are always people who will take advantage of an obviously confused tourist (unfortunately).

It seems I am waking up daily with new symptoms lol Thanks :)

Thanks for the advice. I set up an appt with my GP for tomorrow morning. The pain has increased and spread. My left hand fingers are almost unusable -- stiff and clumsy and throbbing. Now both shoulders are painful and stiff.

I set up an appointment for Monday. I am only 20, and this is extremely frustrating. I considered asking for a referral to a rheumatologist if he does not bring it up as a possibility. They did an X-Ray awhile back that showed nothing, but I wonder if a regular X-Ray is different from a joint X-Ray?

I could see doing this if weakness was my only issue, but the pain in my wrists can be downright debilitating at times.

Both of my ankles and both of my wrists seem to be weak. My ankles only tend to bother me if I do not wear the proper footwear, but my wrists just throb all of the time. If I lean on them, they give out. It feels like a bone ache. I have had x-rays done on them, but nothing abnormal was found. Normal range of motion. Orthopedist just told me to ice and wrap when they hurt, but since it happens in spurts (a few days at a time of pain, then a few days rest, then pain again) he didn't know what it was. ??? Has anyone had experience with this? Who do I see?

I have been assigned various research papers: ENG-101, ENG-102, Sociology, Psychology, Biology. And I attend a Community College. I have also had PowerPoint presentations, but not in lieu of a research paper. No one wants to read them?? What an odd explanation.

1. Collect a few "useless" degrees here and there ;) 2. Settle down in Ireland or Scotland in a nice little cottage with a few acres and some chickens and sheep 3. Get involved/start up some local conservation projects 4. Become a recurring "squint" on the TV show Bones

I could totally see myself doing this, but with Weeping Angels instead. But, that's just my sick sense of humor.

How dare you think outside the box!! Tsk, tsk. :laugh:

I assume you have a syllabus for each course? Are the major semester projects listed? For smaller assignments (daily homework, readings, etc.), I take note during class in a small planner that I carry with me. For larger assignments (papers, projects, etc.), I take note during class in my small planner when the assignment is mentioned, and then I transfer it to my larger "life" planner. I try to break the larger assignments down into obvious smaller chunks. For a paper, I would break it down into research, outline, draft, edit, final. Those smaller chunks would have deadlines. I am in a few courses that also require regular postings to blackboard. I try to keep the due date for each posting in my planner. All of my blackboard courses have a set day for postings (Wednesdays for initial postings, Fridays for responses).

Absolutely! :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Thanks, KungFuPanda! I am hoping once I am able to attend classes I won't be completely clueless, which is what this "preparation" is for. And thanks for the laugh, too!

I have had a total of four names here (I believe that is all). I chose my more recent one because I have always loved nighttime (and the moon) and it has to do with the month of my birth. My previous ones were an old AOL username that just stuck, a name I thought up on the fly with the help of a Beatles poster, and the Hebrew version of my middle name.

If you could all take a moment to head on over to this Facebook page and "like" it, I would really appreciate it. For every 1,000 likes this page gets, local music shops and performers will donate 100 instruments to children struggling with cancer and other illnesses in Marion county, FL. I do not personally know the young lady who started this project, but her mother has asked for help reaching their goal on another forum I frequent. They are not asking for money, donations, etc. Just page "likes" and shares. Thanks!

Growing up, I always had an interest in dance. I participated in Jazz and Acro for a year, but the expense became too much for my parents. As of now, I cannot afford dance classes. Have you (or your children) taught yourself to dance? I have a decent amount of weight to use, so it would be for health and weightloss, but also for joy.

I left Public School at the end of 10th (with the blessing of my parents) and homeschooled/self-educated for the last two years. Legally, we were considered homeschoolers, but my parents really didn't give any input in my classes. I was sick of being the designated "good" student, always placed in the groups with the students who didn't care and expected to carry them. I actually had teachers tell me they chose me to "help" these students. Sorry, not my job.

I actually own it, but have only craked it open a few times to give it a cursory glance. I will definitely give it more thorough read when I get back into town.

For whatever reason, I have always associated extending grace with being a doormat. Perhaps because I strive to be graceful and I have always been meek and polite, but that meekness can lend itself to being walked upon.

I guess I am asking, what interactions do you feel deserve a response that isn't graceful? At what point has someone's rudeness or inconsideration crossed a line? If someone cuts you in line (to use an example from upthread), when is it okay to ask them to please take their correct spot in the line? If someone cuts me and I say nothing, I feel spineless and insecure. I feel like everyone is looking at me like I am a wimp who cannot handle confrontation. I think my own self-esteem issues are causing some things to get lost in translation. Perhaps my question isn't even about benefit of the doubt, but more about boundaries and their proper implementation.