Ok a not so quick update

Glad to hear things are getting better on the family front.

WTH is up with you getting sick this year.. you sure have gotten the brunt of illnesses.  2010 has to be different for you.  Get this sickness out of you and you are NOT allowed to catch anything else any time soon.  You' ve been through enough!!!!!

I agree with Karen.. break that new mattress in the right way!! 

TELL me about it!  For years of being in healthcare I have developed one hell of an immune system, keeping me fairly healthy most of the time.  This year....it seems I have NO immune system.  I'm done with it after this, LOL  There's no more sickness for me!

Glad things are turning around Pam!  You handle stress like the best of them.  And what better way to keep that stress at bay with karen's suggestion ;)  (Still laughing - thanks Karen for that one!)

Pam I hope you feel better and may I make a suggestion?  Ground rules?  Nope boundaries need to be set.  I don't know the whole story just bits and pieces but the hardest lesson I learned is 2 things. 1) people treat you the way you ALLOW them to and 2) no one can take advantage of you without your permission.  Feel better and enjoy the party.

Linda you are right. Dr. Phil writes, "You teach people how to treat you."

Yes, you are right.  Not only do I have to set boundaries/ground rules/whatever you want to call them, but I also have to help Brian and his father learn that lesson.  There's a much longer story to this - but suffice to say that due to so many mental health issues on my MIL side of the story, that every time she went "off the deep end" they both kind of "rolled over"  It was basically "give her whatever she wants so she shuts up" type of thing.  Nobody has EVER stood up to her and stuck to it, hence why she has what I call "center of the universe syndrome"  There's no reason for her not to.

Of course, being the "daughter in law" standing up to her puts me in a delicate position.  It always will go back to me being the bad guy, being "that wife" who tears her son away from the family and all that drama that ensues.  I already told Brian if that's what it takes, then so be it.  I have noooo problems being that person - although I would like to try to find some common ground.  We'll see how it goes.

Pam to me it sounds like no one ever stood up to the MIL and here you are with a set of balls standing your ground so of course you're the badie!  Someone needs to be before major damage on top of what else was already done.  I think Brian and his dad learned that lesson its what they will do with that knowledge if you know what I mean.  In my house I am the meanie weanie and there's an old saying being in charge of one's life doesn't make them popular. I know you are exhausted from cleaning up those messes.  Hang in there you are a strong person. Sounds like FIL is intiminated by her?

So glad that you are feeling better at least emotionally. Take care of yourself, and just a thought maybe the added stress has something to do with your immune system not fighting things off the way it normally would. Take care of yourself and Brian.

Yea...it's definately a possibility regarding the stress.  Especially this round of nastiness.  Good news - I had my voice back ALL DAY yesterday and the coughing was definately minimal.  Yay!