Hi everyone....(mben, whiskey, sarah, virgie, poet, janjan, bel and all my other peeps), I am sorry I left everyone hanging and wondering what happened to me. My physical health got so bad that recovery was the only thing I had the strength or mental ability to focus on. My immune system was compromised after an allergic reaction to a metal post in my mouth became toxic and infectious to my circulatory system (blood). I had lesions on my face, lost my eyebrows and the hair over my left ear at the worst point of this all ~ about a week after the forum block party. I had a really hard time dealing w/the way I looked and had to focus hard on the aspect of getting well from the inside out, no matter how bad it made me look while my body detoxed and expelled the infection. During the month of Feb until now I started a herbal/vitamin/supplement regiment along w/the other med.s I was taking, changed my eating habits and started walking with small weights 20-30 mins a day. To insure I stuck to this new plan of renewing my health, both physical and mental, for my own sake and sanity and for that of my very loved husband and children, I had to commit to it 100%. That commitment took all my strength and focus. Today, my hair is starting to grow back, the eyebrows still need cosmetic help but are sprouting...FINALLy...and the facial lesions healed. Vitamin E oil really helped and the worst of them which was a dime sized lesion on my left cheek directly over the tooth w/the metal post is faded enough to completely cover w/make-up and isn't too horrible w/out any. I have started rebuilding muscle, stamina and strength. I am not sure about weight loss, don't own scales...but my intention was to get healthy and fit so the improvements to my figure are an unexpected bonus...perkier tata's and a smaller waist keep David's focus off my lack of eyebrows which has been a BIG focus of mine especially pre-sprout when I wondered if they would ever grow back. I still have some fatigue issues but it is about 80% better, the depression and mental fog is almost non existant now...it's nice getting to know myself again and living with motivated hope. Over the past 2 weeks, my family have all been getting over a superflu. Unbelievably, other than a few sneezes and a bit of fatigue my own immune system was able to fight it off. Echinacea is a super immune booster and I got the rest of the family taking it now. Fish and Flax oil supplements(omega 3 fats) are natural anti-depressants that immensely help stabilize my mood and lift depression...I take a bunch of other stuff too but these 3 have made a huge impact on my physical and mental health and I wanted to share in hopes that maybe in all of this some good might come of it for someone else. I truly meant and felt the friendships I have shared with you all here. Michele, I have missed you so much and am deeply sorry for making you feel avoided or unimportant to me, because you are important to me and I care for you very much...I feared for my very life and sanity and had to dig really deep to turn it all around, it was a lonely road but just me and God was the only way I could do it. There were a lot of seconds hanging on to the next second before I could even get to hanging on a minute at a time. Just breathing without totally loosing it took everything I had...wondering if I would die or be a bald headed leper in a mental institution were fearful and painful feelings and I didn't have the words to share that with anyone because it was too horrible to even voice them out loud. I couldn't put that kind of pressure on anyone but my Lord, certainly not on you my sweet friend or anyone else here. Michele, I know you will understand after reading this and won't be or aren't upset with me but I am so sorry to have left you hanging, please forgive me. Again, I never meant to hurt anyone by my unexplained absence or cause this board to suffer because of it....I was very ill and recovery was and is one of the hardest experiences I have ever had to deal with. But in no way does that reflect on the genuine love I have for you all here. I hope all of you are well, happy and always Blessed!! Forever your taco, Michele Lorraine Baker
