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As regulars will know, I have not been well this week. I suffer with chronic sinusitis, and for most of the past six days have been feeling as though my head would like to explode; all very ‘lowering’ as my grandmother used to say. Reading the kind comments made by so many of you had precisely the opposite effect.
The same is true as I read what Geoffrey Struans, SF, Neo and others have been writing here this week. For all lovely Neo’s comments about me, I don’t have the experience or the wisdom which they have. They almost embody what this place was about when I started it just over a year ago.
In an entirely non-syncretist spirit, I nonetheless felt that on the Internet there were many places where Christians could advertise their differences and where they could smite atheists in what were, ultimately, fora which doubled as a sort of Coliseum/circus. SF and Chalcedon are Catholic converts, David Monier-Williams a life-long Catholic, Struans, Malcolm and myself Anglicans, Neo a Lutheran, and Geoffrey a Baptist and Bosco an evangelical Christian from California; that covers a wide spectrum, and with the addition of those of you who are kind enough to comment, an even wider one. And yet here, we are able to discuss Christianity in a way which throws more light than heat on what we discuss.
JP, it was, I think, who told Geoffrey this was not an educational place. I beg to differ. I have found it a very educative one – not least in the dialogues and the comboxes. Can I confess that I was never very sure about atonement – that I understood it, that is? The same was the case with predestination and the idea of salvation. I understood what I understood by them, and what I had been able to read and to listen to, but thanks to the discussions here I feel I have a much better appreciation. I hope others do too.
I still feel a little groggy, but a lot better than I did when I went into hospital. The scans appear, despite allegations to the contrary, to reveal that there is a brain there, and that whatever may be wrong with it, it is nothing that a scan can reveal 🙂 It seems that there was a bacterial infection which was causing the problems, but it appears to have responded to the antibiotics; once the rest of my system stops protesting about the antibiotics, I should be back to normal – so no hope of improvement then.
My thanks to all the regulars for your support – it is much appreciated. A special word of thanks to Chalcedon for looking after me so well, and to Geoffrey, for looking after the blog so well.
struans said:
What generous remarks you make. It is in dialogue and in the difference where God is often found, I believe. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
S.
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JessicaHof said:
Thank you my friend. I feel better this morning, but am taking care 🙂
I agree, wholeheartedly, that it is is in the dialogue and the differences where we find God – and we may there also find less difference, the more God we find 🙂 x
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St Bosco said:
Uh, say good sister Jess,let me help out the doctors . Without lab results, my wild guess is a bacterial infection. chronic sinusitis can be bacterial. Next is allergy. Ive got $10.00 american that says you got allergic reaction to something. Brit doctors arent worth the time it takes to throw them in the trash. I feel sorry for you. Look into buying some antihistamines online from american sources.
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JessicaHof said:
Thank you Bosco. I can’t say I am wild about British doctors, but the antibiotics seem to have cleared the infection. You may well be right about the allergy – which I think is lying now on top of the original problem. I will get some antihistamines – thanks xx 🙂
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St Bosco said:
Aye good sister Jess, no charge for the medical advise. Talk to me befor accepting what these quack brit MDs tell you. Uh, not that i know anything. Im just a heretic
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JessicaHof said:
Thank you Bosco 🙂 xx
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St Bosco said:
The more i think about it, sometimes people have allergic reactions to the bacteria. That throws the diagnosis off.
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bruvvereccles said:
You gotta get well Jess, we needs you my dere.
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JessicaHof said:
Thank you, darling eccles – I am much better today. I should eat my greens more regularly xx 🙂
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St Bosco said:
Say Eccles. my computer freezes every time i go to your dirty miserable site. I bought a new computer tuesday and am in a different city and it still does that. I hope and pray this happens to everyone who tries to go to your idiot site.
Have a bad day
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Eccles said:
Dat aint very nice, bruvver Bosco, especially as I has put your meddical advices on my luvvly blogg.
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JessicaHof said:
You know what meddical advisors are, darling eccles. I was very grateful for your advice and an going to try de nose flute 🙂 xx Jess
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NEO said:
Glad you’re back, and nearly in battery, dearest friend. Don’t know who it might have been, alleging a lack of brains, probably some mad Welshwoman who ought to know better. 🙂 xx
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JessicaHof said:
Quite probably was 🙂
Yes, up, and now about 🙂 xx
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NEO said:
And that’s all to the good 🙂 xx
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Servus Fidelis said:
Glad to see you are up and about, Jessica. We will all hope for a complete recovery. 🙂
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JessicaHof said:
Thank you, dear friend. Still not 100%, but getting there – I hope 🙂 xx
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Servus Fidelis said:
Well good you are up and about. Nothing is so awful than debilitating headaches that will not go away. The only solace seems to be sleep and falling asleep seems impossible. But it feels so go when the headaches stop. 🙂 xx
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JessicaHof said:
It surely does my friend 🙂 x
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Servus Fidelis said:
🙂 xx
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JessicaHof said:
Just off for a nap – I hope 🙂 xx
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Servus Fidelis said:
Sleep is a great relief when you have been deprived or when in pain. 🙂 xx
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Cultural Limits said:
Jess, fellow sinusitis sufferer here. It’s very common in this part of the country. Do the British physicians subscribe to controlling the infections after antibiotics with nasal saline? That’s what’s kept mine at bay. Something called a neti-pot that doctors here recommend regularly. It takes practice and getting used to, but it works.
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JessicaHof said:
Yes, I can get a nasal saline solution, which will be there on Monday – such a horrid thing, sinusitis – you have my sympathy – and my thanks for the advice 🙂 x
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Cultural Limits said:
Steam showers are also helpful to open things up. Sinus issues are just NOT FUN all the way around. Glad you are feeling better.
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JessicaHof said:
Yes, I’ve found that. What I hate is the simultaneous feeling that your temples are being gripped by an iron vice, whilst the middle part of your face feels like it might explode. As you say, no fun 🙂 x
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Cultural Limits said:
Along with teeth feeling like they are going to fall out and the swelling at the base of the skull, no fun.
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JessicaHof said:
Yes, that bit is really horrible 😦
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St Bosco said:
Neti pot? What the hell is that? Good sister Jess, go online and look for 4way nasal spray. There is nothing better on the planet. There is quick and longlasting types. Get both. You will thank me. No charge for medical advice.
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Eccles said:
Bruvver Bosco’s advice is worth every penny you pays for it.
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JessicaHof said:
He’s being very sweet – must be your good influence. I am very reluctant to take drugs, they usually have a bad effect, so I am going to try the netipot first 🙂 xx
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St Bosco said:
Say Eccles, what rock did you crawl out from under? You are no help to anyone for any reason. In a room full of idiots, you would be considered and idiot.
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JessicaHof said:
Thanks Bosco. I am going to try the saline solutions first – see if that helps – but if not, the nasal spray it will be 🙂 xx
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Cultural Limits said:
Neti-pot is actually Indian, as in from India. You run what is more or less a cup of salt water with baking soda through the nose with your head tilted to one side over the sink. It gets the crud out.
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JessicaHof said:
Yes, my sister had recommended it, and with you saying it had helped, that settled it 🙂
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JessicaHof said:
I’ve just ordered a neti-pot 🙂 x
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Cultural Limits said:
It takes some getting used to, but the salt in the water will do lots of good.
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St Bosco said:
Good sister Jess, what are you doing? Salt water is salt water. Thats stoneage. Get this stuff called “4way’. Its a spray. You might have to get it from the US or go to a commisary on a US base near you.Do you have US millitary bases in england? Forget salt water. You need real help. Salt does no good, dont listen to these witch doctors. Please. I beg you.
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Eccles said:
I think my bruvver Bosco needs to start a meddical column givvin advice. You can be saved and healthy at the same time.
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JessicaHof said:
Darling eccles, will there be a guest column?
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JessicaHof said:
I’m going to try the natural way, Bosco, but if it doesn’t work, then it is on the drugs for me 🙂
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St Bosco said:
Good sister Jess, i guess u can call it a drug. Its a topical and works on the surface of the glands. Sinusitis(allergy) need real help. Water and salt and best wishes dont do nothin. You need to shrink the swollen membrane to get relief. God invented these drugs. If used in moderation, you have no probs. Use as directed, but as needed. The directions are for ideal cases. Yours is not ideal.
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JessicaHof said:
Thank you, Bosco – if no improvement, I will. I just get jittery about side-effects 🙂 x
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Hamish Redux (@HRedux) said:
What Bosco omits to mention is that British GPs train for 12 years (5+2+5), whereas in the USA it can be as few as 8.
Signed, someone who has a brother who is a GP.
All the best, Jessica.
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JessicaHof said:
Thank you, Hamish. The wretched thing seems to be something I inherited from my mother, may The Lord have mercy on her soul. I have to say that the doctors in the hospital were very good 🙂 xx
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St Bosco said:
Ah, inherited. All i needed was a history or lab results on you. It allergic if its inherited.Sometimes a weak immune response allows bacteria to set up in the sinuses. If you have bad headaches, its the sinus that swells up and causes pain. Claritin sold here in the bad ol USA works best without drowsy affects. Its expensive. $8.00 for 10 pills or something like that. Nasal spray works faster. Spray a bunch then tilt your head down and let the liquid run down into the sinuses. They will open and the headach will go away, for the time being. Getting desensitized is the way to keep from going thru that all the time. You might want to ask your doctor about that. But i suggest coming here to the US to have it done. Then you will have to have shots twice a month for at least 20 yrs then you might outgrow the allergy. Not that i know anything. Im a hysterical hater who is delusional.
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JessicaHof said:
I’m sure no one thinks that, dear Bosco – you’re a sweetie really 🙂 xx
That treatment sounds a lot of sense.
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St Bosco said:
i dont know what GP means. Here in the bad ol US of A, we do 2 yrs of classes then hit the floors for 2 yrs. That equals 4 yrs if my calculators batteries are still good. Oh yes, 4 yrs of under grad. Thats 8. If one specializes , then more yrs are tacked on. Not that i know anything about that kinda stuff. Im a hell bound prot. Good brother Hamish means well. but he doesnt know which end to blow into.
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averagecatholic said:
I am glad you are feeling better. And the evidence, even without a scan, is that there is a very good brain in there 😉
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JessicaHof said:
Thank you 🙂 xx
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