Donna, sounds like a good plan getting the bloodwork and getting checked for arthritis and thyroid. Don't forget possible Lyme disease (many of my friends have gotten it, lots of ticks where we live.)

I do understand about the husband/sympathy factor. It's not always easy being in a longterm relationship. Good that there lots of support on most things though.

Funny story- this morning, my DH was nursing an irritated eye, and i put some medicine drops in it while giving him lots of sympathy...Oh, poor BABY!....etc. Then I went in the bathroom and was cleaning around the bottom of the toilet with a sponge. I turned and stood up, forgetting that I had left the medicine cabinet open, and BAM, hit my head right on the corner of the sharp cabinet door- yeowch!! I gave a little whimper-cry, because it really did hurt, but kept cleaning. DH came in to see what had happened and I said Oh Nothing, I'm ok. But he said what are you TALKING about, you're bleeding all over the place!!! and I hadn't realized that my head was bleeding vigorously into my hair! Well you should have seen him whip into action like a real trooper, applying washcloths and nursing me like crazy- too cute. We stopped the bleeding, no stitches needed- just a dent in my head! I guess next time I whimper he'll come running REAL fast!