Come out, come out wherever you are
I’ve had this blog for almost 3 years now, it is my therapy, my home base, my place of comfort and self-expression. When I say that I don’t think I would’ve survived the last 5 months without it, I’m not exaggerating.
But today is no ordinary day on the internet. Today is Delurking Day.
(See, there’s a picture and everything)
Today is the day where, even if you aren’t a normal commenter or a regular reader, you leave a comment and you let me (and other bloggers) know that you’re reading. It’s just a nice reminder that there are people out there from all over who have found their way here, who care enough to take the time out of their day to read my whinefest blog.
It’s a little reminder that I’m not alone.
And before I ask you to unmask yourself and leave a comment I figured that perhaps it was my turn to delurk a little, maybe I owe you that. Since I’m not a teacher any longer, the threat of showing my face is pretty diminished. And because I really want you to delurk, I’m going to make an ass of myself. You’re welcome.
My name is Katie. Kathryn actually.
This is me in 1990 (second from the left in the back row)
Skip ahead to 2001. Mind the perm…
Skip again to 2005, the year of college graduation and many different colored casts…
2007…
2008 (this is the only year of pictures I really feel okay showing you. It helps when other people fix my hair and makeup)
2009…
And finally, 2010. (This one is lovingly stolen from Megan’s flickr page)
So. Now you’ve seen me, I have delurked. You’ve seen the worst of my hair phases and you’ve seen the prettiest I’ll ever look in my life. In return, all I ask is that you leave a comment. Tell me your name or tell me how you ended up here. Or just say hi. Whatever you want. If you leave your blog url, I will visit (not today or tomorrow, because of that silly little lumbar puncture thing) and leave a comment because I can’t very well ask you to comment if I’m not willing to myself.
Now go delurk, and then try really hard to get the image of my 2001 perm out of your mind. To be honest that picture might self destruct or suddenly delete itself in about 60 seconds.
92 Responses to “Come out, come out wherever you are”
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Welcome! I'm Katie, a 28 year old, full-time graduate student who just happened to have brain surgery in November of 2007 to give my ginormous brain a little more space. This blog chronicles my daily life, from relentless headaches to being a doctor's wife. Sit down, get comfortable and stay for a while.
I followed you here from your CB site. I was never a lurker…always willing to put in my two cents whether it was wanted or needed.
And now I stole your idea and put it on my CB site. So far only six responses.
I think you must have better readers???? It can’t possibly be ME?????
Could it.
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Oh the perm is definitely one of my favorites.
Best of luck with the lumbar puncture. Here’s to hoping they find something fixable!
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Hi Katie! I’m Jen, from Ohio. I’m 29 and have a 21 month old daughter named Eden. I have two blogs, both of which are woefully neglected and not worth putting up here right now. I think I found my way here after Meaghan shared the story of the limo ride where you sat on her lap and she linked to you. I really enjoy your blog and appreciate your ability to put eloquent words to really difficult things. Yours is pretty much the only blog I comment on, I think because I want to make sure you know that there are so many people who are rooting for you. So, anyway, I’m glad to have made my way to your little corner of the interwebz, and plan to stick around a while. Good luck tomorrow!
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Hi Katie,
I live in Decatur, AL.and I have no idea when OR how I found you – (maybe when you had a Caringbridge site???) Yes – that long ago! You are in my favorites and I check here almost every day.
O K — I just De Lurked!
Mary
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Hi! Amanda, coming to you from California! I lurk, but I read all the time
I found you via Daisy’s blog (I’m in law school, ugh).
Hope things go well tomorrow!
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I’ve been reading your blog for a while.
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This feels like a AA meeting … not that I know what an AA meeting feels like … I’ve just seen them on TV. Umm … (searching for something random) Look, a tree!
Hi, my name is Marylee (crowd echoes, “Hi Marylee”) and I’ve been de-lurking for about a minute now. I’ve been binge lurking on your blog for about three months. I first became a lurker when a Twitter post of yours came up in a regular search for #autism that I do. I
stalkedfollowed you back to your blog and became an instant fan. My 15yo son is a high-functioning autistic but locked in full-blown hormonal rage for the last year. Life with him is an adventure every hour, forget counting by the day!I starting reading your thoughts because you were so intriguing in 140 characters that paragraphs should only be more interesting. I continue to read your blog because it’s not nearly the whinefest you want to think. It’s a wonderful, eloquent, moving, inspiring account by a strong woman in an untenable situation who deals with all issues and obstacles with a great amount of grace. While my life goes off the deep end of crazy most days, you have shown me that humor is hidden in the oddest places, even MRI tubes and I should look for it everywhere. Humor helps us cope, right?
I close this comment with mixed feelings. I want you to find a problem that is fixable, but I don’t want you to cease telling your tale. So get well, but keep writing!
Good luck.
/sliding back into lurkdom
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Hey. I’ve delurked and commented a bunch, usually when you get all fired up about politics and I have to pipe in! I have NO IDEA how I met you but oh, oh, I remember …. I somehow came across your blog around the time of Hurricane Gustav. You were living in NoLa (obvi) and I had posted about my time there. Right right. The crescent city brought us together!
Anyway, I read you faithfully via my reader and you’re in my thoughts on a pretty regular basis, actually.
Thanks for delurking, yourself. Especially with the perm. That’s impressive
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I delurked just last post (which is actually a kind of typical thing for my life) but I have to say, that perm has nothing on my Annie perm from my childhood.
. . . tragically, all photographic evidence is with my parents.
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I don’t comment nearly enough, but I do read. Loved all the pictures.
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I am a longtime reader… I started reading your original caringbridge page four years ago. I think that I have posted once but it was a long time ago. I live in MO and was caregiver to my parents who have both passed away.
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62 comments so far! wow…I should give this a try.
p.s. you are gorgeous in and out..;p
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Hi Katie!
21 year old college student in Arizona, here. I really enjoy your blog, enough so to delurk! Gorgeous wedding photos.
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Hi Katie! I’m Sam
I found your blog after Googling ‘Posterior Fossa Decompression’ or Chiari Malformation I’ or something to that effect for the 100000000th time while I was trying to find answers for this heinous ‘condition’. Along the way I found you, which might I add was an absolute Godsend! Seriously. Some days I just spin my lap top round after reading a post and tell my boyfriend to read – cos it saves me from trying to articulate what I myself am going through. You are not alone lady so you just hang in there and I will too! Don’t you dare dis yourself again either you are gorgeous!!
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Oh yeah I’m from Sydney, Australia
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Hi Katie, my name is Sarah and I’m from BC, Canada. I found you through someone else’s twitter page fairly recently, though I can’t remember whose. I was immediately drawn in as I too suffer from a neurological disorder (in my case NF2, which causes benign tumors to grow throughout the central nervous system and peripheral nerves. I can relate to you on many fronts – chronic pain, neurosurgeries, MRIs, LPs.. (good luck with yours tomorrow)!!
I am also a fairly newly-wed (2.5 years).
You are a very talented writer and also very inspirational! Thank you for sharing your life with us.
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Hi Katie – Diane from Mississippi – love your blog, never left a comment before. You are a great person.
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Hi!
I have only been reading your blog for a few weeks but I have to say the fact that people think it’s ok to tell you to stop complaining about your pain, on your own blog, drives me crazy. I say, shut up and stop reading it, no one is forcing you. And until they have gone through what you have they have no right.
I hope things get better.
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Hi! I’ve been reading for a bit, and have commented once. Maybe twice. Thanks for sharing your stories with us!
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Hey Katie,
I know I’m usually a lurker, (sounds kinda creepy to refer to myself like that…) but I do occasionally check in. Probably will a bit more now that I’ve solved my computer problems (by buying a new one!). Good luck with your LP tomorrow/whenever it is over there. Just think, if you were here in Australia, it would be over already! (It’s 1:45 a.m. Saturday morning here.)
Anyway, just wanted to let you know that even thought I don’t comment all that often, I’ll check on you every day
Cheers!
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I don’t remember how I first got here, but immediately I was smitten with your writing. Your emotions, and physical feelings, hopes,fears and dreams just drip from the words you write. I read you every day. Your story both tugs at my heart and inspires me. See you tomorrow. stephen
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My name is Lou. Louis, actually. I don’t remember how I found you any longer. I lurk here a lot. Today is the day AFTER de-lurk day – but I thought I should, anyway.
I hope the Lumbar went well.
And thank you, for the pictures. You are lovely. Just lovely.
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Hi there. It’s Laura aka mcmama79 on the old Twitter. Haven’t commented much but I read everday of your journey. You are always in my thoughts and prayers.
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Hi! Found your blog through miss Ginger H, happy to have met you in person at our book club, and I hope I get to see you again soon (in real life).
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Hi Katie! I’ve been lurking here quite a while…sorry for not commenting sooner. I live in Irvine, and I have EDS-hypermobility, POTS, and Chiari. I started reading when I started getting a terrible constant headache–you have handled yourself with far more grace than I! I hope that your lumbar goes well.
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I’ve commented a few times, but read all the time, and follow you on twitter.
I can’t remember if I found you though Daisy or the other way around.
You are a wonderful writer and braver than you think you are.
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Hello there!
I believe I found you through a trail of Twitter feeds several months ago. I read all the time and often try to comment, but I usually feel like I have nothing intelligent to say and end up deleting it. o.O
Sending good thoughts and vibes your way that today’s tests yield answers and that you’ll soon find reprieve from all your pain.
Take care. ^_^
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Hi!
I’m fairly new to your blog, but actually comment quite a bit, now. Couldn’t tell you how I found you, but I can tell you that I love your blog. Thanks for sharing so much of yourself on here. Looks like you’ve got a lot of people rooting for you.
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Hi Katie, my name is Alex and I have been reading you since…well for awhile, 2 yrs. I found your site while searching “cronic headache syndrome”. Mine aren’t quite as bad but I once had a headache for 7weeks. I find strenght from reading your post and would like to say thanks for being so strong and not giving up hope, it gives the rest of us hope too!
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Hi, Katie – I’m Anne. I’ve commented a few times. I also can’t remember how I found your blog but I’m here reading about you on a regular basis. I live fairly close to you (in the San Fernando Valley); its a lot closer than to New Orleans, anyway. Its been a while since I’ve posted on my blog but the title of it is “Home of Anne and Max”. I hope you get an answer, finally, on this final test. I can’t imagine being in so much pain and able to achieve top-notch grades in grad school. You are an amazing woman.
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Hi Katie – my name is Sue. Live in San Diego and so hard to believe in that picture of you in 1990, my daughter was 1. Shit I feel old. I have a love hate relationship with your blog. I love your writing and reading about you but I hate that you suffer and they can’t find the root to your pain. So frustrating. I will keep reading and hoping that you find relief. Soon. If you do visit my blog, like my house, it’s a mess. I need to work on snazzing it up and making me proud of it. As of now, I spend too much time reading others than working on mine. I’ll get to it. One day. Take care.
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Hi Katie – I’m a lurker but have posted a few times. I live in NJ and just want you to know you are in my prayers….Marilyn
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Hi,
love your blog and I can’t remember how I found it. I was laid up with knee surgery for 6 months and endless sleepless nights trolling the internet. Live in Dana Point Ca and used to have a very active life till 2 dogs total weight 225 ran in to me. Mine being 125 lbs! I have lived in that pain that takes over your life. I look good and normal now but this has really been a life moment. I truely know now who has my back and have done a lot of weeding in the bff department. Simple things I never thought about are huge when you are on crutches. Whine on and I check daily. Walk the beach daily and saw the same sunset. That is what its all about.
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Hey Katie -
So, I’m a day late in delurking because for some reason your posts always show up in my feed reader many hours after your posting.
I’ve been reading your blog for several years now. I’m roughly your age, though there is no Slappy equivalent in my life (I still can’t believe he cheated in his own naming contest!). I also love summer camp, eating vegetables straight from the garden, and wasting time on the internet (oh, and long walks on the beach, right?). It’s strange – I feel like if I came to southern California I would want to visit you, but that would be totally creepy because you know nothing about me and I know lots about you (though I’m sure you have a vibrant life that you don’t share on the internet as well). Someone could write a whole sociology dissertation on this phenomenon.
Also, I think SueG is my favorite commenter – she always has such kind, eloquent words.
Hang in there, and keep blogging, my dear! The internet loves you (except for the trolls, but they don’t count because they’re crazy).
-robin
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Well, I missed the official day but I caught the entry. I love you to pieces. I’m honored that my kids and my photography are featured. Glad that a small piece of the world knows what a treasure you are.
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Crap, that wasn’t HIM! it was ME!
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i’m here. somehow lost track of connections between this site and your twitter feeds. (is that we call them)
and the fondue?
hoping your weekend’s been all right, despite all the hospital fuckup
this is me when i’m not here
http://janetisserlis.tumblr.com/
you’re not alone
thanks for stepping out of the shadows
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Of course you know I read. And btw you look so STUNNING in your wedding photos. WOW!
As for me:
http://lexdiscipulus.blogspot.com/
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How is it that I just found your blog today? I know you from chronicbabe. Love your writing and will be back to read more!
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hi katie! ok, so i know i’m a late comer to this post of yours TEN days ago, but i wanted to de-lurk anyways. i don’t know how i found your blog, but i sure am glad i did! i’m sure it was through someone else in the socal area that i follow on twitter. anyways, just so you know….be happy that in the 2001 pic, that is merely a perm. due to my jewish and african american roots, my hair looks twelve times worse than that and i DON’T pay to make it that way.
also, i am absolutely enamored with your wedding dress and i MUST know who makes it!!! well, not must, but if you could tell me who designed it i would love that.
-maddie
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Glad to have stumbled upon your blog. Thanks for writing.
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