"They say that the truth hurts, but the only thing that truth hurts, are illusions"

I just finished reading a book entitled 'Sickened' by Julie Gregory. An international bestsellar about her life as an abused child from her mother's ill mind. This is called Munchausen by Proxy. This is a specific type of child abuse brought on by a perpetrator, usually a mother, who makes an otherwise healthy child sick in order to seek continued medical care. The mothers who do this commonly have a history of traumatic abuse or neglect suffered in their early life. Since the trauma or neglect was inflicted by their primary caretakers, the perp gets a latent parental need fulfilled from interacting with doctors, who are universally recognized caretakers and authority figures. The doctor rarely finds anything wrong with the child, but the mother goes from doctor to doctor, pursuing tests and surgeries. Sometimes the mother fabricates the symptoms, sometimes she causes them. Sometimes the child is maimed, sometimes the child becomes sick from a combination of drugs and surgeries. Sometimes the child dies. This form of child abuse is called Munchausen by Proxy (MBP). This book needs to fall into the hands of someone who needs it. It was absolutley gut wrenching at times. I come all the way to London to read a book about an american. I suppose it was so easy to read because it wasn't required for any of my classes. That makes the most sense; don't get the books needed from the library, buy books at the Heathrow airport and read them in 2 days. This story was so riviting that I couldn't put it down. If time allots it, I recommend checking this website out. http://www.mbpexpert.com/definition.html
I am leaving on Thursday for Dublin. I think I had said yesterday 'no big deal, few days to pack...' Ugh, have to pack tomorrow. And there is so much to do in Ireland that I don't know how I am going to see everything in 3 days. If anyone has any ideas how I can become a professional traveller, post them - I need to make a career out of this. Lora & Erin know what I mean, 1 week in London was nothing... So much that we wanted to do and couldn't fit it all in. My flight is booked for Germany too! I am so excited! For reasons I can't go into yet, this is going to be the best adventure of my life. I have decided to stay in Germany for the entire 2 weeks of my spring break rather than travelling to Italy as originally planned. I know, I know - doesn't make sense from what I had just keyed about about travelling and how there is never enough time. But I think that the 2 weeks that are going to be spent in Leibenstadt are going to more priceless then anywhere else I could ever travel. This trip isn't going to be about site-seeing, it's going to be about family...
Need to get some sleep, the next few are going to be rough. I have a precis do on Thursday in my national cinema class. Stellar. I will start this project as soon as I learn what the hell a precis is anyway and what it has to be done on. Way to wait until the last minute Jam... Some things never change!! :)
Oh well, as always, I will come through last minute with another one of my smashing pieces of work!

Sidenote:

A quote by Julie Gregory

"The memories that hang the heaviest are the easiest to recall. They hold in their creases the ability to change one's life, organically, forever. Even when you shake them out, they've left permanent wrinkles in the fabric of your soul."

I think that explains more in 3 sentances than what others (ie: me) have tried to find the words for for years...