Okay THIS is the last post.

Since I posted about Chris' situation, I thought I would post an update real quick. They did make it to NC with lots of help from a few people, and he spent most of today at the doctor's office having tests run. What they came up with is kinda weird. A scan of his brain showed that he wasn't releasing endorphins, and that the sections of his brain that are associated with nausea and pain were firing like crazy. What they believe happened is that when he had a kidney stone back in November of 07, which was when this first started, it kinda "shocked" his brain and frazzled the chemical balance. Since then, he's been unable to produce his own endorphins, which is why his pain is so intense, and the parts of the brain that are associated w/ nausea and pain have been firing for no reason. His brain is tricking his body into thinking it hurts when there's no reason left for it to hurt because the trauma that started it all has long since healed. That is also why none of the MRIs or other tests showed anything. This condition is quite rare and can't be cured, but there are medications that can control it. He's now being weaned off the pains meds he's been on for the last two years-- which were making it worse, as it turns out-- and is on two new medicines-- one targets the pain receptors and the other helps him make his own endorphins. They think he should be much better in a couple of months. He has to go back to this doctor at UNC again in May for a follow up. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, but if everything works the way they expect it to, he should stop missing work and will be able to pay his own way there.

Thanks for keeping him in your thoughts and what not.