::still???::

everyday i wake up
and
i try to swallow a glass of water
and
i feel like someone has vacuumed all the moisture
out of my throat
and caressed it
with
sandpaper

i am still clueless as to what is causing this, so i am quitting all the zyrtec (which promises sore throats as a nasty side affect) and will wait and see if my self-doctoring pays off. i still take ibuprofen once a day to stave off the daily aches, but come on now: the fever is gone! i'm not sick! (insert monty python voiceover here) i'm getting better!

on a somber note, both sarah's husband, bill, and josh's cousin, gary, were shipped out last week. it's hard to know what to say or feel. this is a new & unnerving experience for me, among many others. we are praying for your safe return, men!