I didn't really disappear - I've been posting to the daily gratitude thread and sometimes to the accountability thread.

As some of you know, I was to have ankle/foot surgery earlier this summer. It's been trial and tribulations. A bit before I went for my pre-op appointment with my family doctor - I noticed red raised bumps that looked like skeeter bites, but they didn't itch. In three days before I went to my doctor - I had 90 of these bumps appear . She told me they were bug bites. I asked three times to get referred to a dermatologist just to make sure. She said it wasn't necessary.

I knew something was wrong & got into my mom's dermatologist. He said if I had 90 bug bites I would be insane itching. After tests, etc. He determined it was a staph infection and said absolutely do not do surgery. It could have actually been fatal going to surgery with a huge staff infection. I am kicking my family doctor to the curb when this is over. ALWAYS follow your gut feelings.

Derm. gave me antiobiotics and some ointment. I had a very rare toxic reaction to the ointment. It was actually eating away my skin. It's taken about 8 weeks for my skin to heal. All I have now are the scars.

This has been a horrible ordeal.

I have been reacting to stress and physical pain with food and chocolate. (notice that chocolate got it's own food group ) I gained some weight back. My ticker is accurate.

Thankfully, The last four days I have been on my plan.

Hopefully, I can do the surgery in October. I haven't worked for six months. I need to get back to work. No work...no income. Phooey. ( Plus I LOVE my work and miss it.

That's why I haven't been posting much. But, I've been reading.

Can you believe this is short explanation of what's been happening?

Oh, Beverlyjoy
So sorry to hear all you have been going through. Thank goodness that you listened to your gut feelings!

I hope that you can get the surgery over with and get back to your normal life.

Bless your heart! I hope you are on track and that things are better!

Thank goodness you listened to your instincts!
Glad to see you back

omg! That is horrible. I am so glad that you listened to your GUT about this!!!!!

Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry you went through all that. Glad you are back in the game.

I hope you get back to yourself soon... BIG HUGS!!!!!

I'm glad you're back and feeling better!! It sounds like you've had a lot going on... When I get into situations like that, I hold on as hard as I can until it passes, it's not easy!!

My friend always says - we're ducks, under the water we're paddling as hard as we can, but above the water all anyone sees is us gliding along...

Oh my goodness! Staph can be a real killer. I'm so glad that you are okay!!!

Thanks so much, everyone.

wow...that's a lot to go through. It sounds like you are on the other side of it. Glad to know that you are still around.

Yikes on the ointment! What a horrible reaction. Shoot, yikes on the whole thing. You really have been put through the ringer!

So glad you were persistent and listened to your own feelings. We have to listen to our bodies and trust our instincts. I'm glad you did! I hope you are well on your way to recovery.

Sounds like the subtitle on a horror movie: The Ointment That Ate My Flesh.

And still, through that, you've found things to be grateful for, every day, and posted about them here on the site. And you've even held yourself accountable.

I really admire you. Because the combination of staph infections and allergic drug reactions would leave me feeling less than grateful, and completely unaccountable.