I went to see my gastroenterologist this morning - just a check up. My liver enzymes are the same, no decrease, no increase, simply as elevated as they were way back last fall. So now he names this previously anonymous condition - auto-immune hepatitis. So why does this bum my out so much! Nothing has changed by his naming it - I am not on any treatment for it, but still it bothers me. I now host TWO autoimmune diseases - scleroderma, AKA CREST, and this hepatitis thingy. All he said was to avoid things that harm the liver - alcohol and drugs that are processed through the liver, like any cholesterol lowering agent, which thankfully, I am not on anyway. I just needed to blow off steam. It really does annoy me and it is senseless to be annoyed because nothing is different from before the naming. It is silly of me to feel this way. Why can't feelings be rational?!
It's been a busy few weeks! Lots going on in First Coast Opera AND my life. Many, many students - I love teaching. I love the satisfaction of mining for the best sound in a student and the satisfaction of knowing that THEY know the results improved and were easier, too! NATS auditions past, Florida Federation of Music Clubs and Florida Vocal Association auditions to come. It's a time crowded with details! 
Yet, I have found some time to be in my garden - to clean the pond and trim back the fern and to clean up dead vegetation. My iris are getting ready to burst forth - the foliage is bright and healthy looking. I get really excited about my iris - one is solid deep purple and one is burgundy with a yellow throat. The other is white and to date, the blue flags have NOT bloomed.
Now, I will speak of my needlepoint! I am working on 3 canvases at the moment - one of a kimono in black with a big white bird and flowers in green and teal and white on it, one small one of a dragonfly in blue and white and green, a large canvas of a lizard in LOTS of colors. When they are done I will photograph them and add them to my blog.
I was rejected for flap LASIK surgery this week! The doctor won't operate on patients with scleroderma and possibly all autoimmune diseases! Rats! I thought that after all these years of wearing glasses (since I was 2 years old!) I could be done with them!
I have loved watching the Olympics these two weeks. The pair skaters who performed to Puccini's Madama Butterfly brought me to tears! And such high drama! Like the Italian pair whose red-headed diva was unspeakably unsportsmanlike with such a huge audience! I wonder how she feels about that now! Talk about a LARGE POND!
So, on to Mozart! We will be doing The Impresario in modern period with Mr. Angel, the backer, as Luigi Angelo, the mob boss. Dan loves the idea. I just haven't figured out what the costumes will be. I hope I still have my high F! I don't want to feel foolish in my small pond. www.firstcoastopera.com
Nearly 5 years ago, I suffered a stroke that left me with numbness and lack of coordination of my right hand and arm. For awhile, I could not speak normally, and I couldn't say my husband's name. With time and occupational and massage therapy, sensation began to return. My speech cleared up within the month. I relearned how to brush my teeth and hair, how to butter toast, how to handle a fork. I used a speech program on the computer for several months, because my right hand could not type. I am very grateful for the lessons I learned from this experience. After 5 years, a person is considered to be at no increased risk of having another CVA (cerebrovascular accident). That's my upcoming milestone!
