+Isaiah Paul Writes Again!

It never ceases to amaze how fast time flies.  Two months, sheesh.  Here’s some updates:

* The tummy continues to be a bit rummy.  My doctor, bless ‘im, knows I don’t have insurance… He handed me four sample bottles of Nexium and said cheerfully, "There’s a hundred dollars of medicine for you!"  (The stuff is like five bucks a *pill*.)  He checked out my gallbladder and pronounced it fine, so it’s most likely acid reflux.

I couldn’t believe the difference the Nexium made.  All of a sudden I was sleeping like a baby and waking much earlier and much more rested.  But wouldn’t you know, the fourth bottle went missing.  I turned my apartment and car inside out and couldn’t find it.  Can’t imagine where else it could have gotten.

So I started having trouble sleeping again in mid-January.  When it got to the point where I couldn’t seem to get any rest no matter how much I slept, I went back in.  (Ordinarily, I’d say that’s depression, but there were no other signs.)  This time he cheerfully handed me *ten* sample bottles of the purple goodness – which should be overkill, he said.  After it runs out, I’m to start taking over-the-counter Prilosec for three months.  That should give more than ample time for my throat to heal itself, and hopefully put a significant dent in my chronic cough.  (If all that doesn’t kill it, next step is to visit an allergist.)

Sure enough, the very night I started taking the Nexium again, I was sleeping the sleep of the just.  I did have one very bad night a couple nights ago, but it was my own fault – I ate too close to bedtime.

* No real movement as yet with the SOLT folks.  Due to a misunderstanding between me and the vocation director, we had a period of weeks where we were both waiting for information from the other. 😛  Ah well, things are moving again.

* I talked with Fr. Gerald about Fr. Jesse’s little "zings" at me during the morning RCIA sessions.  He told me that most likely Fr. Jesse was testing my charity, and added with a smile that it’s a pretty arrogant thing to do.  But that it would probably be good for me to get the practice keeping my mouth shut.  Sigh.  Why is that man always right? 🙂

Anyway, the last couple weeks Fr. Jesse’s stopped the needling, and told me he wants to talk to me about getting a year-round Inquiry class going.  Guess I passed, or something.

* My friend and student Juan has been horribly, severely depressed of late.  Saturday he missed one of our meetings and I called him up and he said he couldn’t get out of bed.  So I went over to his place and we had a long talk.  He decided he needs some help and made an appointment with a university counsellor.  I really hope it helps him.

He also out of the blue asked if there was anything going on at the church that day.  I mentioned the Vigil Mass, and he said he’d come. (!)  Turns out he arrived only as Mass was ending, which is a pity, as the readings were aimed directly at his situation.  I pointed them out to him and he said he’d like to just sit quietly in the church and read them.  I hope something comes of that – he really needs the Lord.  Please pray for him.

* Things are markedly better between me and my mother of late.  Basically, I managed to draw a boundary between my life and hers *without* getting angry.  It seems to have made a major impression.  She’s been positively going out of her way to be nice to me, and I’ve tried to reciprocate.

I’ve been visiting the family a good bit more, partly because of that and partly because Roy’s been going through a serious downturn in terms of mood.  (They had to change his meds again.)  It’s good for him to be around people.  Of course, when I was there this weekend he was completely football-obsessed, so. 😛  Mom always seems to bake something when she knows I’m coming, which is thoroughly out of character, but appreciated.

I wonder if this is a blip or a truly new chapter in our relationship?

* I had quite an interesting Sunday yesterday.  But that’s for the next entry.