Ali, First of all you were not rambling doll! I could almost feel your excitment & nervousness in your post. An it made me feel the same way for you. I guess it doesn't matter what age you are because I just want you to understand when I lost my job people used to check on me too. But after awhile that all stopped. I don't talk to anyone from either of my two previous jobs anymore & I thought I had very good friends at both places not just coworkers. I think our conditions scare people. They don't know what to say & they can't make it better. They know are lives are drastically changed yet they get to go on living theirs. I hope everything goes well at school and that your pain is cntrolled enough that you can enjoy getting back into some kind of routine. I think the outside normal socialization would be proabably the thing I would look forward to the most. I think the comraderie at my last job is what I miss the most. I would bet it would be similar for you. We may age but our need for companionship don't change that much. Which I guess is why we are all drawn to support groups like this one. Take care & I will be thinking of you.
hugs, Dennny