Good morning!
I took this self-portrait early this morning. A friend was coming over to spend time together, and I was up bright and early, even though I stayed up late finishing a proofreading project.

It's been a hard week or so, emotionally, but I am more peaceful and together about things today.

It helps to be done with the pain medication post-surgery. I honestly believe that I am hyper-susceptible to mood swings and temperament changes when on prescription meds. I have never been diagnosed with anything that required psychotropic medications, thank God, because I don't think I could handle that. I swear, even Vicodin or Oxycodone does a major number on me.

I believe that the pain meds. accumulated in my body in the two weeks after surgery and made me emotionally hyper=intense, fragile, and rather manic. I am relieved to not need them anymore and actually HID the Vicodin.

Has anyone else found themselves reacting badly to such pain meds.? For me, the Oxycodone was great for that first week, taking it regularly for the pain after the surgery. Then when that was over, they switched me to Vicodin as needed, but I found that the Vicodin, which I took at night mainly, was not helpful for pain regulation and instead made me hyper and sleepless. So I ended up not sleeping enough, and being a real manic foolish woman!

I made some poor decisions along the way, and I ran into serious trouble romantically speaking. All in all, it was a lesson.

I would rather cope with pain than with that sort of emotional instability.

So here I am, pain-med-free, and much more myself.

Hugs to all of you,
Brina