Saturday, December 10, 2016

Not just allergies

Its been a long time since last post.  I have been busy because I am getting ready to graduate in a bit over a week!  Then I'll have a break for about a month, then start my job at the lab I have been doing the internship.  Between that and not having any questions to answer and not much in the way of ideas for posts, well time got away from me.

My allergies have been getting a bit better, but still kinda bad.  I think dust and mold is really getting to me, between heating systems, decorations, x-mas tress, scents, etc.

I also found out that besides allergies, I also have vasomotor rhinitis.  That's pretty much things causing similar symptoms, but not an actual allergic response.  Mainly its just a label for the fact that my nose is oversensitive to everything.  I also have turbinate hypertrophy.  That's part of the chronic inflammation in my nose and me always being congested.

I don't have much else to add now.  No idea if I will post again before the new year.

As usual, please feel free to say hi on skype or by email.  sneezykate@hotmail.com works for both I think.  I'd love questions to answer too.  Happy holidays!


Tuesday, October 25, 2016

A New Post So Soon!

I happened across some interesting articles I wanted to share.  They both have to do with explaining what its like having allergies:

http://www.lifehack.org/309337/5-things-allergy-sufferers-want-you-know

https://www.buzzfeed.com/allergiesbelike/things-people-with-allergies-need-you-to-unders?utm_term=.uc5amem0K#.pdVBObOX5

What does everyone think about these?  Does anyone else have any other resources that discuss what its like for people with allergies?

I have a couple of questions:

Q: You mentioned earlier that Allison bends over backwards to help you with your allergies, and I'm wondering, does she ever "fuss" over you, or coddle you when your allergies are bad, or does that bother you?
Also, does she really *never * say "bless you?" I know that in general the concept of blessing embarrasses you in public, especially when people say it after every sneeze and are mean about it. But is she allowed to say it sometimes? I always think of it as a way of expressing sympathy, so after a particularly bad fit does she never say one, single " Bless you"? I can't imagine having a S/O who sneezes all the time ( especially if they are truly suffering) and *never * blessing them? 
A: The fussing and cuddling is nice.  Its great having someone so helpful like she is :)

She will say it every once in a while, once or twice a day at the most though. 


Q:  How much would you say your allergies affect your eating habits/ enjoyment of food? I know you don't eat much when your allergies are bad, just due to not really feeling hungry, but what about in general? I know you have trouble tasting, but do you still get at least some enjoyment out of food ? How about compared to before your allergies starting? I kind of imagined you as not eating enough and being, almost, frail? Because your posts make it seem like you can't enjoy eating at all D: 
A: It affects it a lot.  Food doesn't have much taste for me, so I don't find it that interesting to eat.  Maybe my allergies in general too make me less interested in the hassles around eating.  Before I got allergies, I ate more, but even then I'd often get sidetracked by other things and forget to eat at times.

Sorry this post wasn't too long, but its nice to get one up so soon after the last one.  I am interested t get your answers to my questions this time!  As always, feel free to say hi and chat.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Oct update and Q+A

Mid Oct and the ragweed levels have been coming down, so my allergies are slowly starting to get a bit better.  It takes my nose a while to not be as sensitive though.  The longer my allergies are bad, the more sensitive I get to everything so it takes some time for that to calm down.  I have to keep remembering though when I say 'my allergies aren't that bad'  most others see it as really bad, lol.

I have some Qs to A:

Q: Also, do you use corticosteriod nasal sprays ? Or are you too congested to try them?
A: Tried them and not only is the congestion the problem, but when I try to use sprays, I start sneezing like crazy and my nose gets all runny so the medication just doesn't stay in.

Q: How much do would you say allergies affect your performance in school? Are you so sued to it, so focused, etc. that except for the *really* intense days , or does it actually affect your grades. Has it taken you longer to finish your PhD because of this?
A: They have certainly affected school and work.  Missed days, not able to do as much as id like on many others, etc.  It has taken me longer because of my allergies. 

Q: Would you consider yourself a spoonie? ( "spoons" are this system for measuring how much energy a person with a chronic illness has. Generally applies to chronic fatigue/pain disorders, but since your allergies are soo severe I feel like it may apply) 
A: I didn't really know about this until you asked.  I don't think I would.  What I can do all depends on how bad my allergies are that day which is dependent upon what and how much I get exposed to.

Q: Do you ever lament about how mild your allergies started?
A: Not really.  They got pretty bad pretty quickly.  I more lament how I used to not have any allergies.

Q: Do you still take allergy shots. 
A:  No, not anymore.  I had them for a few years when I was younger, and they made no difference.

I am still on yahoo chat, but its not that great anymore.  Skype chat might be better.  I think the best way to find me there is my e-mail:  sneezykate@hotmail.com

Thanks, and keep commenting, asking questions, and saying hi!

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Finally a Post and a bit of Q+A

Sorry it has been so long.  Things got crazy between the internship, and school happening again, etc.  As a quick summary for the internship - my allergies were making me miserable and I was having all sorts of problems and people having issues.  One of the people in charge realized how bad it was for me, so he was able to get me moved to something where I am not around animals at all, so I am doing better there now, and much less embarrassing.  Out of control allergies in a mask really sucks!

Ragweed season is still making me pretty miserable overall though.  I have a little bit of Q to A, so here we go:

Q:  Have you gotten any more information about what you will be doing? From what you do know about the job what do you think will be the biggest obstacle regarding your allergies?
A: I guess the above answered that. 

Q: Has your job started Kate? How has it been?
A: Also, see above, lol.

Q: I was just wondering how you cope when you start sneezing in a situation where it is difficult to leave - have you ever had a bad experience for example at a wedding, during an exam, on a plane etc?
A: Yes, its happened a number of times over the years.  Mainly I just have to sit there and let it happen.  Sometimes all the sneezing is disruptive to others, and I usually get very embarrassed.  It hasn't happened often, but occasionally for one reason or another I can't keep my snot totally under control and it grosses out other people.  That's the worst.

Q: I'm wondering, if maybe you're a little a too embarassed about your allergies? I don't doubt that some people are terrible and unreasonable and just don't behave like adults, but I feel like you're a little too sheepish by it? If you could say something like " I can't control it, you're being an ass." And act less embarrassed, people would mock you less? I almost feel like because you act so meek about it, people feel more like they can mock you for something you can't control.
A:
Not really sure how to reply to this.  I'm embarrassed by them, that's just how it is.  And they ARE pretty embarrassing!  Its also hard to reply much when I'm in the middle of an allergy attack, etc.

Q: I"m wondering how your parents reacted to this, and if they were supportive? I know they don't have allergies, but it can't be easy to watch your happy, athletic, popular kid's life suddenly decline due to remarkably severe allergies. I'd imagine it depressed them, too.

A: They have been pretty ok about it.  Concerned and all that.  They took me to lots of doctors and lots of tests over the years. 


I hope the answers were interesting.  I want to note that with the new way yahoo chat is, its hard to tell if someone is online or not.  I am still using it, so feel free to say hi there.  I am also on skype (just type chat, no video or voice), so you can message me on there too also at sneezykate.  E-mail works too, but I tend to like chat better.  As always, please give me feedback and more questions!

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Too long without a post

Sorry, I let time get away from me again.  I am going to take the internship/job, and see how it goes.  They are willing to be accommodating, but I know it is still going to be problematic for me.  I hope it works out ok.  It starts in a bit over a month.

I only have a couple of questions this time.

Q: When you are having a sneezing fit in front of other people, are you usually sneezing into your elbow or into a tissue? And, in between sneezes, do you take it away from your face so people can see your 'about to sneeze face'? Or, do you just keep your face covered?
A: Always into tissues.  During fits I usually keep the tissues pretty close to my nose.  I can get very snotty and I do all I can to make sure others don't see it.

Q: when on interviews, I'd imagine that your allergies still show themselves. Do you explain about it to the interviewer? Do they ever say anything in regards to your allergies?
A:
Interviews can be annoying since I usually can't just run off in the middle of them.  They will usually ask something, like if I have a cold, or if I am ok, etc., then I will explain. since I kind of have to.


This was a short one this time.  As usual, I am happy to have feedback, comments, messages, etc.

Friday, June 3, 2016

Early June Q+A!

2 posts in one week, crazy right?  I felt bad for making such a downer post, and I got an influx of questions so I wanted to post while I have motivation to do so.  Allergies are still being very bad.  Now on to the questions:

Q: Does sunlight cause sneezing fits for you?
A: Not a whole sneezing fit, but the moment I'm in the sunlight I'll sneeze a few times.

Q: Imagine you could get rid of one allergy symptom but "in exchange" would have to accept another one getting twice as bad as it is now. Which symptoms would you choose, or would you decide against such a "trade"?
A: It would be to get rid of sneezing, and the one to make twice as bad would be my eyes being red, since that's probably the one I notice/affects me the least.

Q: If you weren't so congested and could sniffle and wipe your nose, how would you deal with it? Would you blow your nose often to avoid the sniffling or would you do with the sniffling?
A: I'd do both.  It would really be nice to be able to blow my nose, but I'd not want to do it constantly and I'd probably sniffle a lot without realizing it.

Q: If you weren't so congested, could it be that your nose would even be more snotty than it already is because it would be easier for the snot to run through your nostrils?
A: I'd think it would be just as snotty, and it would probably be easier to deal with.  I'd think I could get more to come out at once and I'd have some small breaks at least between my nose running all over the place, since I'd be able to empty it.  The one problem might be that if my nostrils were more open, more allergens might be able to get into my nose.

Q: We know that you get various symptoms from your allergies, sometimes five or six at once. Are you always aware of them, or does it happen that you don't recognize one symptom because the others are stronger?
A: They are all pretty easy to notice.  Some I don't worry about as much as others, but none cover up any others. 

Q: How do you deal with watery eyes when noone else is around? Do you wipe the tears away or do you let them run down your face?
A: When noone is around I let them run more.  The more I wipe my watery eyes, the more tempted I am to rub them, and even thought it feels great in the moment, it makes my eyes worse.

Q: When was your most recent best day? How severe was that day?
A: I am not sure what you mean by 'best' day recently.  I will say that on my best days in general, I am at about the level a normal person would think of as 'bad allergies'  lol.

Q: What season for you is the best? You have told us in the past that spring and fall are the worst (because of hay fever and rage weed) but what season seems to be the easiest for you?

A: Winter is.  When I say that, people think that means I am allergy-free in winters.  that's not true, they are still pretty bad.  I am allergic to pretty much anything you can be allergic to, so there is still plenty out there.  Winter is the only season without pollen of some kind all over the place however, so that helps my symptoms.

Q: Do different allergens affect you in different ways? Besides how severe each allergen is, do certain ones cause a runnier nose or more powerful sneezes?

A: Kind of.  The main difference I can think of is that dust tends to be more of a burring itch in my nose and eyes.  Scents don't make me as congested.  Animals I think tend to make my eyes more swollen, and pollens might make me more sneezy by a little bit.

Q: Lastly, when you made this blog did you expect people with the fetish to read it for amusement?

A: It really didn't enter my mind at all.  I don't mind why people read, I am just glad they do and comment.  I do wish I could find more people who have very bad allergies to read and comment too though as its nice to be able to communicate with others who understand well.

Thanks for all the questions!  As always, feel free to comment and/or contact me directly!

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Seeking opinons, and venting about mean stuff

I am getting close to graduating, and I have been trying to find good jobs.  I got offered a pretty good opportunity (its the best one I have bene able to find), but there is an issue.  Its doing research, but before I can have the job, I need to be an intern (paid) with them for 6 to 9 months.  Its a rules thing, and also to make sure I am a good match and I like working there.  Intern stuff is mainly being a lab tech.  The issue I have is that even though I wont be working directly with animals, I will be near them a lot.  I told them about my allergies, and that's why I don't have to actually work with them.  So I am wondering what to do - I am worried that my allergies might be so bad that I can't work well, and then they aren't going to want me anymore.  Of course I am also worried about being exposed to allergens constantly for so long.  The thing is, its a really good opportunity, and once the internship is over I won't have to be around the animals.

I got to thinking about mean things people have said to me about my allergies.  Some I wasn't meant to hear, and some I think were misguided attempts to be nice.  It got to bugging me lately, so I wanted to list some of the things that have been said within the last week or so:

You'd be very attractive if it wasn't for your allergies
Does she do anything else besides sneeze?
Are you sure its allergies?  You might be sick, and I don't want to catch anything
Maybe its all in your head?
Your allergies are being very disruptive
If you would blow your nose your allergies wouldn't be so bad

I also hate when I get 'advice' like the last one, but they don't seem to understand if I tell them I tried/it doesn't work, they should believe me and not argue with me.  Ugh!

I haven't gotten any new questions.  I am wondering if my last post wasn't very interesting?  please feel free to comment and to contact me!

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Happy Mother's Day and Q+A

I hope everyone is talking to their moms on Mothers Day :)

I have a number of questions to answer, so I will get to them below.  For some reason, I am not getting e-mail alerts about comments on my blog posts, so I am sorry if I miss things.

My allergies have been very bad.  I mentioned before that they seemed to start up 2 weeks earlier than usual.  They got bad a bit quicker than usual, and they are staying more consistently bad than usual, if I am remembering correctly.  Of course, what is happening in the moment always seems worse than the past, so I might be wrong on that.

I think I found all the questions:

Q: When you're in the middle of a sneezing fit, how many times would you say you sneeze per minute? And when you're not in a fit, do you sneeze often anyways? If so, I have a kind of strange idea.
A: Per minute?  Not sure.  When my allergies are bad like this its over 20 sneezes in a fit.  I do sneeze often, but its pretty much always in fits.  What is your strange idea?

Q: Answer other questions, but every time you sneeze type a symbol or something, just to give us the idea of how often you sneeze in real life.
A:  I don't like to do this.  One benefit of chatting online is that my allergies get less in the way, especially the sneezing.

Q: When you are in a long sneezing fit, do the sneezes ever cause you to feel relieved? I know a few people who feel relieved after fits which makes them feel better.
A: People tell me I am weird because that doesn't happen to me.  My sneezing fits don't make me feel any better, just tire me out.  My nose still feels very itchy and tingly after, and I am still congested after.

Q: Another question, have you ever sneezed so much that you couldn't function?

A: Oh yes, it happens often when my allergies are bad.

Q: Lastly (I'm really sorry I'm just super interested) if you could some how be allergy-free, what things would do you differently? 

A:  Many things.  I'd own cats, I'd probably get into horseback riding.  I'd swim more, play more sports, maybe get back into singing.  I'd have more job possibilities, and I'd go out much more often.

Q: We know that you get various symptoms from your allergies. Is there some "interdependence" between them in a way that one certain symptom is annoying especially when another certain symptom is there?
A: Its a bit hard to say.  I know lots of sneezing makes my sinuses feel worse and makes my nose more snotty.  I think the itchiness and tingles in my nose makes my eyes water more.  I don't think I can tell much more as I do not get symptoms in isolation from each other.

Q:You wrote that your sense of taste is affected from your allergies because it is dependent upon smelling which is affected because of the congestion. What does that mean for your eating? How does it feel for you to eat or drink something when you cannot properly taste it? Do you recognize whether something you eat is spicy?

A: Its like eating when you have a bad cold - nothing has much flavor.  I can taste things being salty or sweet or the other tongue flavors, but that's about it.  Yes, I can tell spicy because that it a tongue/mouth thing.  If you ever had a bad cold where you are all stuffed up, eat something, and that's what its like for me.

Q:Does it happen that your allergies get so bad that it's difficult or even dangerous for you to walk into the street, e.g. because dizziness or blurry vision due to watery eyes?

A:  I am not sure if 'dangerous' is the word, but it certainly is difficult.  It is the blurry vision, the dizziness, and also the distraction with all the symptoms, and lots of sneezing will interrupt me.  Its also a problem if I get a bad allergy attack outside because then I can't really go anywhere and I am unable to get away from what it causing the allergy attack. 

Q: Are there other people but Allison with whom you talk about your allergies in real life?

A: Yes, my best friend Jessie, but she lives in Washington so I don't see her very often since I started grad school.

Q: Imagine that every day you could choose one allergy symptom not to appear. Would you choose the same symptom every day or would you vary between different ones? And which symptom(s) would you choose?

A: In general it would be sneezing.  That is the thing that causes me the most problems.  If there was a day I had to do a lot of talking, but noone would see me, like lots of phone calls, maybe I'd choose congestion.  I'd think about snotty/runny nose, but if I wasn't sneezing that would be more under control anyway.

Q:Imagine that you could live without any allergies for a week by some miracle. Which things would you do during this week?

A: Play with cats, spend lots of time outside, be as active as I can, go visit people I usually can't because of there pets.  Probably also do a crazy amount of cleaning (not having to worry about dust).

Thanks for all the questions.  keep them coming, and please feel free to contact me directly.  With my allergies being bad I'm stuck at home and online more often.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Embarrassing week

I wanted to make a quick post as a check-in.  Allergies have been very bad.  Tree pollens are very high, and really affecting me.  I don't have any questions to answer, so please ask me some if you can.

A few embarrassing/gross things from this last week or so:  While walking down a crowded hallway, I had a sneezing fit come on very quickly while my hands were full carrying things and it was very snotty and people were grossed out and some were laughing.  I was dozing off in class (allergies keeping me from getting much sleep), and apparently my nose was dripping but I didn't realize cause I was half asleep and there was again laughter at me and people being grossed out.  I was working on a project with someone and my allergies were getting so bad I went into the bathroom and she came in after 20mins to check on me and I couldn't stop sneezing and she got worried I guess and other people came and wanted to call the ambulance and so this group of people were watching me sneeze and sneeze non-stop for so long. 

The last embarrassing thing was my doctors appointment.  He had 2 others in to look at me too.  Lots of observing my allergies and asking questions.  They wanted to look in my nose again and that is always problematic, so that was a long snotty embarrassing mess.

Sorry I am not going into too much detail.  It feels embarrassing to just write it out.  I'd probably be ok chatting about it one on one if you want to know more.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Spring allergies, dream, and modes of transport

My allergies this spring seem to be coming on quicker than usual.  I don't know if it will end up being a worse spring, but it feels like its been coming on about 2 weeks earlier than usual.  Like right now my allergies feel like they usually do in the middle of April.  Maybe everything is just 2 weeks early this year.

I had a weird/interesting dream a few days ago.  I was a consultant for a video game about allergies.  The dream got very detailed, but mainly it was a game where you played someone with allergies and had to get through daily life and other things for a set amount of time - like a day or an allergy season or a year or something.  There were different difficultly levels, what things you are allergic to, and other settings to choose from.  Winning was based on what version of the game you played.  I think one was based on finding a cure for your allergy, or a way to keep them totally at bay.  Another was minimizing how much resources you needed to use on controlling your allergies, and another was limiting impact your allergies had on your social life.  I never saw the actual game in the dream, but it was some game developers talking to me about what they wanted the game to be about and me giving them information on how it would be realistic for someone with allergies, what the challenges are, etc.  If you are interested in more, message me and I can probably remember more about it if we chat about it.  The dream and game was actually kinda cool.  I sort of wish a game like that was being made.  I sure could consult on it, lol!

Someone suggested a blog topic to me I want to try.  It was talking abut modes of transport and the advantages and disadvantages they have for my allergies.  I will mention a few here, and if people want, I can add a few more/talk about ones people suggest.  Just note, I am putting the ones down I think have the biggest impact, so off the top of my head, I am not sure how interesting others may be.

Airplanes:  This is probably the worst for me.  I have mentioned plane trips before.  Its not that planes themselves make my allergies bad (I can run into random thing that make me allergic, but that can happen anywhere), but the altitude changes can get very painful for me.  My sinuses get really intense pressure and pain and my ears can hurt so badly.  The intense pressure and congestion makes me sneeze less, but the sneezes are pretty painful from it.  After a trip across the country, I need about a day to recover and feel better.

Cars:  This really depends on time of year/pollen season.  In the winter I am usually fine.  Some days in pollen seasons my allergies are too bad to drive.  I also have had times where I have had to pull over if I feel a bad allergy attack coming on.  As a passenger, again if pollen isnt an issue, everything is fine.  During pollen season, the longer the car ride, the worse my allergies can get.  If I am just with Allison, its not that bad, but if I am in the car with other people, its very embarrassing because I can't go run off anywhere, and my bad allergies can become the center of attention in the car. 

As I mentioned above, if you want to know about other modes of transport, let me know.  For ideas, these are some the person suggested:  walking, riding a bicycle, travelling by bus, train, boat/ship.

I will keep trying to make posts more often, so please keep coming up with questions/ideas for me.  As always, feel free to contact me to chat.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Sorry it has been so long, and a Q+A

It has been a really long time, and I am sorry it took so long.  I was kinda busy with school, I was sick a few times, time got away from me, and I kept putting off posting. 

Over the winter I have had a few colds, 2 turned into sinus infections, and one was a sinus infection, strep throat, and pneumonia.  That then got my asthma a bit bothersome for a while.  I'm all recovered now though.

The weather has been fluctuating a lot between cold and warm and I bet that has something to do with it.  My allergies have also been more bothersome than usual for winters.  Someone said the temp fluctuations might be making mold more of an issue.  It hasn't been severe, but just more allergic than usual.

I have a number of questions, so I will get right to them:

Q: When you are talking to someone and you have to start sneezing, do you say anything to them? Like, "I have to sneeze.." or do you just start sneezing without saying anything? And do you just walk to the bathroom or do you tell them you are leaving? 
A:  I don't say anything when I am going to sneeze.  I'll often just walk off, especially if its people I know.  Otherwise I'll say something like "I'll be back in a bit"  or "I have to go to the bathroom"

Q: Do you have time to get out a tissue or do you just sneeze into your elbow and get a tissue later?

A:  Luckily I usually have time to get out tissues before I start sneezing.  Its not much time, but I have practice getting tissues quickly.  If its bad enough that I don't have time, I am often staying at home/away from people anyway.  My sneezes can be pretty snotty, so I put a lot of effort into making sure no one sees that.  Its very embarrassing the few times I am not able to get a tissue out in time.

Q:  You've mentioned doctor's visits before- do you still go regularly to an allergist? What kind of things specifically do they do to examine you, and you've mentioned they use you as a patients for students to learn from- can you give more detail?
A:  Yes I still do.  Now its mainly just checking in, seeing how things are going, trying out different meds, etc.  I am a pretty unique case I guess, so they sometimes bring in students or other docs to look at me, ask questions, do exams, etc.  Its kind of boring and embarrassing at the same time.  Its the same questions and the same stuff over and over again - they talk about my case, they ask me a lot of questions, and they observe and examine me.  Its embarrassing because I have all these people interested in my allergies and watching them in me, and I can't run off and hide.  Exam-wise, its a lot of looking up my nose (which gets problematic) and in my ear and in my throat, etc. 

Q:  Have you ever spoken to family or friends about how they feel about your allergies and how it affects them? How do they feel? 

A:  Not really.  I don't like talking about my allergies in real life.  I'm not really sure how they feel.  I guess kind of concerned, but it seems they are used to how I am.

Q:  What's your worst nightmare relating to your allergies?
A:  Two I guess - that they will keep getting worse and worse and I won't be able to do anything ever.  And having really long allergy attacks that won't ever stop in public and be unable to talk/tell people what is going on or get away from lots of people staring at me while it happens. 

Q:  Is there anything you're concerned or worried about relating to them in the future?

A: Mainly them getting worse, and just more of what is already been happening - being embarrassed by them, them interfering in things, making me miss stuff, etc. 

Q:  Have you ever tried that herbal, powdery stuff called Chhinkni to help clear your stuffy nose? It's supposed to help clear your sinuses but usually makes you sneeze a little first. Supposed to smell like eucalyptus or Vicks. 
A:  I have heard of he stuff, but I have no interest.  It apparently makes you sneeze a lot, and I already sneeze a lot.  Sneezing doesn't help clear my nose.  My nose isn't all stuffed up from snot, although I do get very snotty, its stuffed up because the nasal passages are smaller than they should be, and they get swollen shut easily.

Q:  Have you ever spoken to family or friends about how they feel about your allergies? Like have you talked to them about whether it bothers them, for example?
A:  Oh, this is a repeat of one above, just check out that answer :)  I will add that my family and my good friends don't seem bothered by my allergies.  Many people have been bothered by them, but not anyone who is a close friend.

Q:  Would love to chat when you're homebound and bored! You mentioned yahoo and fb chats- what are your names for each?

A:  Absolutely!  I always would like that.  On skype and yahoo I am sneezykate (in skype you might need to use sneezykate@hotmail.com).  I am not on FB too much though.


I am sorry if some answers are short.  I like to fully answer the questions, but sometimes I can't think of much to say.  Let me know if you have any follow-ups.

As usual, please keep the feedback and questions and ideas coming!  And as I mentioned in the last answer, feel free to contact me!