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The Blessing  by Pearl Took 9 Review(s)
AndreaReviewed Chapter: 11 on 6/29/2007
Dear Pearl,

I'm really intrigued by this story!

I can feel with Pippin who simply doesn't understand why this should happen to him. He even is searching for something he did wrong to explain it, it seems!

Aragorn's apology was great. And Pippin's reaction was wonderful!

I only hope that it will not take too long to find the right medication!

Larner wrote about her mother having been given the wrong medication. My father has experienced something similar. So I can very well imagine what might happen next!

I'm looking forward to reading more!

Author Reply: Hi Andrea and Thank you :-)

I'm glad it is all still feeling right. I'm sorry to hear about your father. We have so many medicines now that it doesn't surprise me that things go wrong at time. I hope he is OK now.

Thank you so much for staying with us :-)

elanor winterflowersReviewed Chapter: 11 on 6/26/2007
I really appreciate the care that has gone into presenting this story; I feel very comfortable that Pippin's well-being in this situation is in the hands of such careful writer/researchers!

And I find that I respond to the story quite honestly, in the same way I responded to learning my own child had a burden to carry in life. There are days when you just weep for the unfairness of it all, and others when you are uplifted by the courage they show. I follow Pippin's progress, though, with a heavy heart for now; I am not used to thinking of him as permanently afflicted; as in real life, it is hard to get used to the idea! Life has a way of surprising us, though.

Sensitive, gripping and heartrending--very well done!

Author Reply: Thank you so much for such an open response, elanor w. :-)

Responses like this help me to go on even when the story is getting tough. I (more than Golden who works with the disabled) have been having an increasingly hard time with some of what we're putting Pippin through. I will come back to your comments here when I need encouragement.

If people who are "there" feel we're doing a good job, that is a great reward to Golden and I.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 11 on 6/26/2007
I read this earlier today, but was having difficulty staying online at the time, and my review wouldn't save.

I, too, am glad that Merry and Sam are going to be trained in how to mix the remedies once they are decided on, particularly as Paltrow, of course, isn't going to go back to the Shire with them any more than Aragorn will.

Most of the anti-seizure drugs I've seen have had a sedative effect to one degree or another; my mother was incorrectly diagnosed with a possible seizure disorder (caused, we learned, by another medication our doctor had prescribed for her and that he refused to take her off of when she suffered some serious side effects); the combination of that with Dilantin almost killed her--made her truly intoxicated. The med he kept insisting was perfect for her whose side effects were, he said, all in her head is now no longer available on the market here in the United States. Seems she's not the only one to have serious problems due to it.

Author Reply: Thank you for taking the time to come back and post your response, Larner! I hate when things go wonky and what should be a simple thing ends up frustrating.

From our research I would say the sedative effect is pretty standard, yes. I'm sorry your mom had to go through all of that :-( I have a friend who has MS - the side effects listed for a couple of her meds are the same as the symptoms of MS. She has often wondered why they are giving her stuff that can cause the same problems. I'm just glad I'm not a doctor or a pharmacist!

Thank you so much :-)

Garnet TookReviewed Chapter: 11 on 6/25/2007
Now the real work begins. Trying to find what works, and in what measure, is going to be a challenge; or that is what I gather from your authors note at the beginning.

I am still loving this story and am anxiously waiting to see what happens next.

This is really a PippinHealers dream come true.

Thanks for doing such a great job.

Author Reply: Thank you so much, Garnet :-)

I hope we have PippinHealers reading it ;-)

The search for the right medicine will take time, though not all of it will get written out in full or we'll be writing this story for ages. But yes, it will be a lengthy task.

I am so glad you are still loving our story!

You're welcome and than you :-)

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 11 on 6/25/2007
Ah, so it begins! I like that Aragorn plans to teach Merry and Sam how to prepare the medicine. And I think it was very reasonable of Frodo and the others to insist on their conditions--it's only natural that they be wary after what occurred at the beginning of it all.

Author Reply: Hi and thank you, Dreamflower :-)

It just seemed right to have it be Merry and Sam.

Yes, they all needed the assurance that things wouldn't fall apart like before. I think they have it taken care of now.

Agape4GondorReviewed Chapter: 11 on 6/25/2007
Whoo hooo! Another awesome chapter... I found myself sitting on the edge of my bed, er, chair and listening very intently - such important information. Wow...

Well written. Thanks for the little disclaimer at the beginning of the chapter. It is important to know that things might not be 'quite' right with all the medicines, herbs, doses and such!

Great job - I'm enjoying this thoroughly!!!!

Author Reply: Gosh, thank you, Agape :-)

I felt that I needed to let people know all of that, I don't want people taking it all as 'gospel' so to speak. We've tried to be cautious and Golden does have OT clients who have epilepsy, so she has some familiarity with the condition, but not enough for writing a story with it as a main feature.

I'm no chemist or pharmacist ;-) so I wanted to have folks know that the mixes on the medicines (if I end up describing them) are fabricated.

I'm glad you are still enjoying this, thank you!

Hai TookReviewed Chapter: 11 on 6/25/2007
Well I guess this will be a long and hard road for all of them but at least they have each other! Aragorn's heartfelt apology and Pippin's quick forgiveness were both very nice and well done. I'm very impressed with as much research you and Golden are doing! That must be difficult at times, but it is appreciated by me as a reader :) Dear Sam, being nervous about mixing medicine differently than mixing food, very much a Sam concern. Looking forward to more, thank you!

Author Reply: Greetings Hai!

I'm so glad you liked Sam! It is a different sort of mixing, but I think he'll be fine :-)

The research has been time consuming and part of why there have been some long times of waiting for all our readers. But it has been very interesting.

Thank you so much, Hai :-)

PIppinfan1988Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 6/25/2007
The passage of Pippin forgiving Aragorn was absolutely beautiful! I think this is indeed a new beginning (of sorts) for our laddie. Excellent chapter! You ladies are doing a fantastic job with this story!

Author Reply: Thank you so much, Pippinfan :-)
I'm glad that worked well, one of those that I wasn't as sure of.

Yes, a new life very different from the one he knew.

shireboundReviewed Chapter: 11 on 6/25/2007
In a tender reversal of a gesture so often used to comfort him, Pippin ran the good fingers of his right hand through the man’s hair before lowering his hand to rest on Strider’s

This is a lovely chapter. The deep friendship and trust between all of them is so obvious. Pippin is wonderfully written as tween, knight, and the cheeky hobbit he will always be.

Author Reply: Thank you so much, shirebound :-) I'm so glad that you're still enjoying our story and that I've not last dear Pip!

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