UPDATE 2: Doctor agreed with me--staph infection in my nose. The infection is probably causing migraines, but she wants me to see the neurologist anyway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATE: We think I may have a staph infection in my nose. Not kidding. Soooo, prayers are still necessary! I'm going to the doctor first thing in the morning, and I'll try to update you soon after.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've been receiving a biological treatment for Crohn's Disease for a little over a year now. I haven't had any side effects whatsoever...until now.

I got my last treatment on Friday, October 16th at 8 in the morning. By 3 that afternoon, I was miserably sick with a splitting headache and extreme fatigue. Every single day since then, I've had another headache. It'll last anywhere from 30 minutes to lasting the entire rest of the day. It gets worse when I sit up, so if I'm not in class then I'm resting on my couch.

Since I didn't know if it was a side effect or if maybe I had just caught the flu, I went ahead and called my GI doc that prescribed the Remicade. Long story short, he thinks it's possible that I caught some sort of infection that was probably made worse by my being on the Remicade (an immune-suppressing medication). He's referring me to a neurologist, and from there we'll figure out what to do.

I've got to admit, I'm concerned. I've never had headaches like this before. And admittedly, I'm a little frightened of finding out something I don't want to find. So until I can get more answers, would you mind praying? If nothing else, for peace of mind? And if you really want, for healing????

I'd appreciate it. :)

Alli

There are times in my life that make me realize the glory that belongs to God.

The rarest times for me are those early in the morning, when it's still dark outside and life is just beginning to stir. Have you ever taken a nature walk at 5:30 in the morning? Not to sound all cheesy and nature-rific, but wow. Life feels like it belongs to you! It's as though you're Adam or Eve, all alone and in charge of the Garden. I live out on prairie-like terrain, and I can't even begin to describe the feeling you get when you're all alone, in the dark, standing with your arms spread wide under a vast, starry sky. There are no trees, no buildings, no cars or planes or trains or anything. Just you and the sound of the crickets playing their morning song. Every now and then you might hear the coyotes yelp, and just that little sound is enough to get your heart racing and your blood pumping. The adrenaline surge is just what you need in those early morning hours. It's enough to make you feel at peace.

Then there's those bright, clear, 72 degree days--you know the ones I'm talking about. The ones where you drive with your car windows down, your sunglasses on, and singing as loudly as you know how. It's those days with the baby blue skies and the crisp, natural breeze that make me realize how alive I feel! Forget technology. Think about sitting by a bubbling creek, nibbling on a loaf of bread and spreading your crumbs to the birds and squirrels. Then imagine what it's like to watch them land around you and on you, squabbling over who will get the best piece. While you're sitting there, think about the sun's rays dancing between the leaves, and the leaves casting translucent shadows over your upturned face.

While the dark morning hours make me want to worship God in silence, those brilliant blue days make me want to worship Him with song and dance. In the dark I can sit with my face pressed into the ground, and in the light I can shout from the bottom of my lungs.

God is incredible.

 Here is a sneak peek of mine and Matt's latest batch of photos. I'll get around to uploading the rest one of these days....

You are all the BEST! Y'all are the reason I chose Xanga over all the other blogging sites.

Alli