Recovering...

I missed work on Friday due to a slowly-creeping migraine headache. It had begun last Tuesday with an eye twitch, and progressed very very slowly through the week until it was completely debilitating on Friday. I slept in a dark room most of the day until the light sensitivity phase passed.

On Saturday we were supposed to have SoulFire practice, but I got a call from Amy saying that they had taken Mark to the hospital in an ambulance. I went up there to be with him and with Amy & Tim & Mikey, who had also gone up to be with him. The doctors did a CT scan of his abdomen and have found that his prostate cancer has returned and is now in his liver. They released him to go home, but we decided to forego practice and go home and pray instead. We had a gig on Sunday night, and we weren't sure we were going to be able to make it. Mark insisted he was going to play anyway... and he did.

By Sunday morning my head, neck and back were so stiff I couldn't look sideways. I guess that either the headache "traveled" or I had been in such pain that I was sleeping in an awkward position -- who knows? Anyway, I was in abject misery. There's nothing like continual physical pain to completely change one's personality into someone unpleasant... at least that's how I felt. I am usually a cheerful person and I don't think I was able to work up to that level. It was as if there were a heavy fog hanging in my brain that prevented me from connecting with people around me. After the service was over, my friend Pat (who's an artist) hugged me and prayed for me, and I went home to try to crash for a while. SoulFire was going to all go out to lunch together, but I begged off and went home.

After I woke up, I was quite a bit better. I was able to do the concert almost pain-free. It's always rather energizing to do a concert; Tim is such a dynamic and energetic leader. It was inspiring to see Mark keeping the faith, too.

The migraine left me waaaay behind on my painting, however, which is why there was not a new painting posted today. I'm working hard to catch up, and hopefully later tonight there will be a new one for tomorrow. We shall see...