We're moving to Hawaii in a few days, so I will be offline for an unknown period of time... I'll probably be unsubbing tomorrow or the next day, but I wanted to share a story that just happened this AM. I accidently cut my big toe to the bone with a very sharp knife while doing some packing. The amount of blood was pretty dramatic and we decided to get the stitches it appeared were needed. Waiting in the medical center I began to wonder if it wasn't an overreaction to go there--the bleeding had stopped (thanks to some duct tape) and there was never any pain whatsoever. Anyway, the doc says it needs stitches or it would continually reopen because of the depth and location. So here comes with the tetanus shot (which I find out later also had diptheria) after I protested but not enough I guess--they were claiming they wouldn't let me leave without it. And now with the "lidocaine" into the wound. I'm thinking just stitch it it can't hurt and asked about that but he assures me it would hurt too much. (I briefly think of our online friend who's always bragging about his dental work sans aenesthetic, but then I remember everything else about him and don't really want to belong to _that_ club.) So prickle prickle into the cut with a couple cc's of this lidocaine and like a wave its coming up my legs, I get sick to my stomach, then lay back and I'm convulsing, can't breathe--I found out later there was a pretty good puddle of blood from my toe during this time--and think I lost conscioiusness for a moment. Then its over (maybe 10 seconds) and I'm sweating pretty good and then I'm fine. Of course, they won't let me out until three EKG's later (free at least, for cash customers like myself who they almost off ;)). Anyway, I get the stitches and that's that. The whole thing was probably harder on Melisa to watch (BTW, her PG is A-OK) than for me to experience. It was, like, a real rush, man. ;) I did have novacaine as a child during two sets of stitches and typical dental work. The last time I had one of the "-caine" drugs was probably 12 years ago when four wisdom teeth were extracted--well before raw. All no problem. I have only had two small cavities in the last decade which were both filled w/o shots or gas. So I said I wasn't allergic as far as I knew when they asked. I guess I am now, eh? I was stupid to let them have at me with the needles, but how much of a scene would I have been willing to make (especially since I didn't think it was any big deal)? I don't know, but I guess I will be a heck of a lot more conservative about it in the future. Of course, now that I have a seisure story I'll have plenty of ammo to fight off the shots with--or will there just be different shots? In any case, I'm not sure I like being so vulnerable to a little painkiller. If this is supposed to be a sign of raw purity I'm not so sure I want it, you know? I don't know. Later and cheers, Kirt